TABUK, Kalinga – The sorry state of the old city hall building over the past nine years will now be improved following the allocation of some P30 million from the local government’s supplemental budget last year to implement the expansion of the structure that will put an end to the sufferings of the officials and employees, especially during the rainy season.
Mayor Darwin C. Estrañero said that the implementation of the city hall expansion project will start anytime after the same was suspended because of the implementation of the Luzonwide enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) to combat the spread of the dreaded Corona Virus Disease (COVID) 2019.
He pointed out that the city hall expansion project will include the put up of a third story structure on top of the existing two-story building to accommodate the increasing number of employees in the different offices of the local government and address the perennial leaks in most of the offices when it rains.
The local chief executive claimed that the problem on the occurrence of perennials leaks in the city hall offices has been a bizarre experience of officials and employees in the different the our city. We understand and know the sacrifices of our officials and employees over the past nine years that the perennial leaks in our offices had not been addressed that is why now that we are in the position to take appropriate actions to improve the same, we are inclined to pursue the city hall expansion project,” Mayor Estrañero stressed.
The 2-storeyTabuk city hall building sets on a more or less 2,000-square meter area and plays host to over 1,500 regular, casual and contractual officials and employees.
Earlier, the local government issued the notice to proceed (NTP) for the city hall expansion project early this year but the same was suspended when the national government ordered the ECQ implementation in Luzon last March 17, 2020.
According to him, the put up of the city hall building’s third floor will definitely solve the delivery of services by the officials and employees of the local government.
made with the appropriate workmanship to prevent the occurrence of future leaks that will disrupt the smooth flow of Estrañappealed to officials and employees and the transacting public to bear with the inconveniences that they will encounter during the implementation of the project as the contractor has been directed to adhere to the stringent safety and health protocols handed down for the prevailing modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) for him to complete the project on or before the prescribed deadline.
Tabuk is supposed to celebrate its 13th founding anniversary as a component city but local officials and organizers decided to cancel the activities that had been lined up for the same to give way for the continuous implementation of the city’s anti-COVID operations to sustain its COVID-free status.
The mayor called on the city’s residents to understand the decision of the organizers to forego major crowd drawing events because their health and safety is the priority of the local government so that their gains during the ECQ as a COVID-free city will be preserved and protected.
By Hent
