Virac Mayor Sinforoso Sarmiento Jr., reporting on his accomplishments for the first 100 days of his administration, reiterated last week that support for agriculture remains his priority.
In his Ulat sa Bayan 2025, the chief executive said his sincere intention to assist farmers is shown by the revival and strengthening of the “Libreng Arado” program in which the municipality allows the use of its three tractors to cultivate farms, saving farmers land preparation cost for renting carabaos or privately-owned tractors.
The free tractor use is aside from the free seeds and seedlings, fertilizer and pesticides, and technical assistance provided by the LGU to the farmers, he added.
Sarmiento announced that the program will soon be expanded with the acquisition of more tractors and a harvester in the following months.
“The help we extend to our farmers will ultimately redound to the benefit of our constituency,” he stressed. “The more products the farmers produce, the lower the prices of our prime commodities in the markets.”
On the other hand, he stated, fishermen who were unable to go out to sea due to inclement weather had been assisted twice through the LGU and with the help of Cong. Eulogio Rodriguez and Cong. Jose Teves Jr.
At present, 245 underweight children in eight barangays are being provided with nutritious lunch courtesy of the municipality and several business establishments and private individuals supporting the campaign against malnutrition.
Likewise, the mayor reported that within the first 100 days his administration was able to builf 15 private toilets in Dugui Too and Sto. Cristo, thanks to the assistance of the Gawad Kalinga Foundation, Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), Gov. Patrick Alain Azanza, GIBAC Foundation Training Center and TESDA.
After three years of being idle, the P280 million Provincial Integrated Terminal and Business Complex is now open to PUCs and their passenders, Sarmiento said, with the complex’ stalls to be leased out to businesses in the next few weeks. At the same community hub, the LGU established the Women-Friendly Space through ADRA.
He expressed gratitude to Rapide Catanduanes and CatSU Alumni Basketball Association for repairing the wooden floor of the Virac Sports Center at no cost to the municipal government and as assistance for the local sports development program.
The LGU is also ironing out the implementation of the educational assistance for deserving students, including the tree planting requirement.
It has created a task force to ensure cleanliness and order in the environment and expanded the Food-for-Work program.
In response to complaints over the Environment and Sanitary Fee (ESF) and service of the Virac Water District, the administration has invited JE Hydro & Bio Energy Corp. to invest P500 million for a new water supply system, with the matter now pending before the Sangguniang Bayan.
Despite the meager resources of the LGU, Mayor Sarmiento said that the stagnant water and blocked canals at Bigaa and Gogon Centro have been addressed.
He bared that he has asked the LTFRB not to grant a franchise to Cat Island Express for refusing to use the PITBC as its terminal in Virac.