Last Oct. 14, 2026, then DPWH Secretary Vivencio B. Dizon issued Special Order No. 327, Series of 2026, designating Engr. Romeo B. Belaro, Jr. as officer-in-charge of the Office of the Assistant District Engineer of the DPWH Catanduanes District Engineering Office, vice OIC-ADE Engr. Joy Agnes S. Nachor.
The order indicates that the designation was issued by Dizon, who has moved back to the Department of Transportation, using the catchall phrase “in the interest of the service.”
Belaro has been directed to perform the duties and assume the responsibilities appurtenant to the position of Assistant District Engineer.
“To ensure the uninterrupted delivery of public service, Engr. Belaro, Jr. is directed to conduct an inventory, accomplish, complete, and sign all pending documents and deliverables, and formally turn over all official records, papers, and properties in his custody to the appropriate office, prior to the assumption of his new post,” the order states.
“This Order supersedes previous issuances to the contrary and shall take effect immediately,” it stressed.
This is where the situation at DPWH Catanduanes DEO turned sticky.
When he arrived brandishing the Dizon order, Belaro wanted to assume his office pronto.
The DPWH Bicol regional director, Engr. Khadaffy Tanggol, reportedly directed ADE Nachor to stay put until the end of October.
As it turned out, both RD Tanggol and ADE Nachor were unaware that the latter would be replaced as the move to replace her did not emanate from the regional office.
Whether Belaro’s promotion was backed by any one of the top political leaders of Catanduanes, we still do not know.
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Veteran DPWH regulars say that the real power broker in the district office is the district representative’s spouse, with her hand allegedly behind the designation of no less than five (5) district engineers and two assistant DEs since the solon got elected into office.
No one at the district gets employed, appointed or promoted without her say-so, according to insiders.
During the stints of previous congressmen, the latter mostly concerned themselves with identifying the projects, ensuring their funding, and making sure their favorite contractors get the juiciest contracts.
Occasionally, they will call their DE if a constituent wishes to get employed as a caminero in the field or as a casual worker in the office.
Now, the times have changed, with the later versions of district engineers too willing to do the bidding of their real boss on the island.
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This issue, the Tribune begins a series of articles on the Annual Audit Reports for 2025 of the Commission on Audit covering the 11 municipalities, the provincial government, and several government agencies.
The reports on the LGUs, spanning the previous and new administrations in six of them, will be done alphabetically starting with Bagamanoc and will end with the province.
Including the other agencies, the series should be completed in three months.
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POTENT MEDICINE. When Old Jake returned to the doctor, he was given a bottle of medicine. “This is potent stuff,” said the doc, “don’t take it every day.
The doctor wanted to make sure Old Jake understood. “So take it on alternate days, do you know what I mean? Take it tomorrow, then skip a day, then take it the next day and skip another day, and so on.”
A month later the doctor saw Jake’s wife in the street and enquired after the old codger.
“Oh, he’s dead,” she said.
The doctor was aghast.
“No, the medicine wasn’t that strong,” she said. “It was all that skipping.”