Newly appointed OPAV Secretary Terence Calatrava met with Cebu reporters for the first time on Wednesday, December 14, 2022. CDN Digital photo | Doris Bongcac
CEBU CITY, Philippines — While he will be holding office in Cebu, newly appointed OPAV Secretary Terence Calatrava said he would be roaming around various cities and provinces in the central, eastern, and western Visayas regions to coordinate with the public and private sectors and ensure efficient delivery of services among local government units (LGUs).
“Mo-meet ta sa 16 ka governors ug sa mga mayors. I will provide them with the listening ear para makahibaw ta sa ilang mga concerns (and) mga kinahanglanon nila kay lahi-lahi nga probinsya, lahi-lahi man og problema,” he told reporters during his first interview opportunity with the Cebu media on Wednesday morning, December 14, 2022.
(I will meet with the 16 governors and mayors. I will provide them with the listening ear so we will know the concerns and their needs because different provinces have different problems.)
As head of the Office of the President’s adjunct office in the Visayas, he is expected to assist in the current administration’s 10-point agenda for economic renewal and long-term growth.
These include areas of concentration in a public-private partnership, fiscal discipline, transparent and efficient governance, and affordable healthcare, among others.
Calatrava, a businessman and former official of the Tingog party-list group, took oath as OPAV secretary before Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin at the Malacañan Palace on Tuesday, Nov. 6.
READ: Ex-Tingog party-list official is new presidential assistant for Visayas
Calatrava is set to hold his first round of visits to local chief executives in Cebu on Thursday, December 15.
Asked about his specific plans in the office, he said, he is still “studying” and coordinating with various agencies concerned.
He, however, assured that he will “support and facilitate” on existing programs that he deem are essential for each LGU.
/bmjo