By NINFA B. QUIRANTE, (PIA
Samar)
July 5, 2006
CATBALOGAN, Samar –
Actress Tessie Tomas who visited Catbalogan town recently acknowledged
the cleaner Catbalogan courtesy of reigning mayor Coefredo "Tekwa" Uy.
Tessie who stars in
GMAs Bahay Mo Ba ‘To was in town to shoot for "Balik-bayan", a new TV
program on QTV (sister channel of GMA) about a celebrity oriented
travel show.
Tessie paid a courtesy
call to Mayor Uy, the day she arrived in Catbalogan. Talks with the
mayor’s tourism officer Kenneth Lim centered on Sunset Beach, Buri,
Guinsorongan and Cal-apog. Eateries like Ratchet, Cocina de Cabral and
Boulevard also were suggested. Tomas also said she wanted to find out
the nightlife in her hometown. Lim was quick to suggest the Boulevard,
a series of barbeque stalls in Arteche Boulevard that become alive at
nighttime. They also serve dinner and drinks.
Though Tessie was
enthusiastic about the cleaning of Catbalogan, Uy managed a shy smile
in response to the effervescent actress’ comments on his job in
Catbalogan.
Uy who considers
himself media shy was unable to shy away from the media who hounded
him after Tessie’s departure. The mayor then started talking.
Uy said that there are
volunteers he lured into taking P140.00 a day to clean the streets
twice a day. However, he expressed disappointment over some vendors
who would just put their trash anywhere for reasons that there are
street cleaners.
Uy has been credited
for having the political will to remove sidewalk vendors in Catbalogan,
shanties and mobile vendors practically littering the town’s busy
thoroughfares. Uy was likewise bold enough to remove mobile vendors in
the marketside giving them stalls instead to display their products.
He told PIA that he himself would personally talk to the grumbling
vendors about his objectives for a cleaner Catbalogan.
He also removed parked
PUBs and PUJs by renting a part of PPA property and converting it into
a Catbalogan Bus Terminal. Catbalogan streets have been reduced of
parked public utility vehicles waiting of passengers.
As for Tessie’s
comment that there are more pedicabs than people, Uy was quick to
reason out that pedicab driving is the easiest means to earn a living
in downtown Catbalogan. "To remove them is to invite commission of
petty crimes," the mayor said.
"With them, money
circulates only in Catbalogan," he added. "They do not buy gas or fuel
that goes out of Catbalogan."
"Besides," he said,
"there are less accidents."
He just vowed to make
these drivers more informed by making them attend seminars on proper
driving when they get their license yearly.
