BARANGAY ELECTIONS
An official of the Cebu provincial government expressed dismay over President Rodrigo Duterte’s plan to appoint barangay officials instead of holding barangay elections later this year.
According to the source, the President’s plan was ridiculous as there are more than 42,000 barangays in the whole country.
“Wa gani siya (Duterte) ka-appoint kinsa mopuli nga kapitan sa Ermita kana ba kahang kuwarenta’y dos mil ka kapitan tibook Pilipinas, (He was not even able to appoint a barangay captain for Ermita. How much more for the 42,000 barangay captains in the entire country),” the official said.
TWIN BROTHERS
Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak and Cebu South Bus Terminal security management head Joy Tumulak are often mistaken for each other. That’s because the two Cebu officials are not just ordinary brothers but identical twins.
When Joy attended a Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) hearing recently, he was mistakenly introduced by the emcee as “Dave.”
“Atong i-welcome ang konsehal sa siyudad sa Sugbo (Let us welcome the councilor of Cebu City),” said the announcer.
Joy just shyly smiled at the wrong introduction while fidgeting with his phone.
His brother Dave said that they are both very used to the mix-up that they have learned to treat it as normal.
BEST PRACTICES
A government forum was held where local officials were asked to share their own best practices.
Representatives from the Cebu City government shared the city’s “sardines program” to other local government units. The program exchanges cans of sardines for bags of garbage segregated in the barangays.
But one city councilor noted that while the program has encouraged residents of remote areas to collect their own trash, it has also led to garbage theft in her barangay.
“Ni-increase ang garbage theft nga kaso tungod sa sardinas (Because of sardines, there is a rise in garbage theft cases),” she said, drawing laughter from the others.