Congratulations to Baras Mayor Jose Paolo Teves III has been reelected as president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) Catanduanes chapter as the lone candidate during the election held at Rakdell Inn on Aug. 18, 2025.
Serving as vice president, an optional position under LMP rules, is Bagamanoc Mayor Vincent Villaluna.
The other officers are: Viga Mayor Jennifer Tuplano, secretary; Bato Mayor Juan Rodulfo, treasurer; Pandan Mayor Honesto Tabligan II, auditor; Caramoran Mayor Glenda Aguilar, PRO; and, Gigmoto Mayor Vicente Tayam Jr., Panganiban Mayor Cesar Robles, San Andres Mayor Aly Romano, San Miguel Mayor Antonio Teves, and Virac Mayor Sinforoso Sarmiento Jr., directors.
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Former Senate President Franklin Drilon is correct in saying that it would be better if the probe of the alleged anomalies in the hundreds of billions of flood control projects is left to independent constitutional bodies like the Commission on Audit (COA) and the Ombudsman,
He said the public will not believe the results of congressional inquiries because the very same members of Congress are the ones allocating the gargantuan budgets for the projects.
On the other hand, the former senator is horribly wrong in calling for the abolition of district engineers in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), saying their functions only duplicate those of regional directors.
“They are just duplicating the work of the regional director. In reality, the district engineer is just ignoring the regional director. The usual excuse is that the money is the congressman’s, or the senator’s, and therefore should not be meddled with,” he told The Philippine Star.
What should be abolished is the post of regional director as well as the DPWH regional offices.
It is the regional office which is duplicating the functions of the district engineering offices, not the other way around.
If one would check the budgetary allocations for 2025 infra projects implemented in Bicol, the DPWH regional office most likely has the largest share.
An example would be the Catanduanes DEO, with majority of the projects for Catanduanes being implemented by the regional office.
And most of these projects bid out by the office of Regional Director Virgilio Eduarte are likely to be loosely monitored, with most of its site engineers either in the payroll of mainland contractors or visiting the project for only one day each week.
At the same time, the Catanduanes DEO had to lay off its contractual engineers for lack of projects.
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THE JOB. A young accountant, straight out of university, applies for a job. He is interviewed by the owner of a small business who has built it up from scratch.
“I need someone with an accounting degree,” says the man, “but mainly I’m looking for someone to do my worrying for me.”
“How do you mean?” says the accountant.
“I have lots of things to worry about, but I want someone else to worry about money matters.”
“OK,” says the accountant. “How much are you offering?”
“You can start on seventy-five thousand,” says the owner.
“Seventy-five thousand dollars. How can a business like this afford to pay so much?”
“That,” says the man, “is your first worry.”