More than a year from the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, Murcia Mayor Victor Gerardo Rojas continues to provide assistance to needy residents of the town. This time, the beneficiaries were indigents residing in remote, poverty-stricken mountain sitios of the municipality.
If the beneficiaries would be the ones to get the food packs at the town proper, they would have to spend money for their fare, and they would also unnecessarily expose themselves to possible infection from the Covid-19 virus.
“Instead of you going to the town proper, we will be the ones to come here and bring the food packs to you. We also want to see your situation here, so that we can implement programs which directly address your needs,” Rojas said during his food distribution in Sitio Monark, Brgy. Canlandog, recently.
The distribution kicked off in four sitios in Brgy. Minoyan. Indigent families in remote sitios in far-flung barangays like Canlandog, Minoyan, Amayco and Buenavista received food assistance facilitated by Rojas from the Department of Social Welfare and Development Regional Office IV, a press release from the town said.
Vice-Mayor Johnny Reosura, Sangguniang Bayan members and barangay officials assisted the mayor in the food pack distribution.
Rojas also pledged to seek funds for the concreting of the road from Brgy. Canlandog proper to Sitio Monark and the Canlandog towers, a vital agricultural production hub and potential eco-tourism site.
Monark is about two kilometers from Canlandog proper, that is about 12kms from the town proper. The barangay lies at the foot of Mount Canlandog, with an elevation of 3,238 feet above sea level, and the site for signal towers of several telecom companies, the press release said.
While the road from the national highway to Canlandog proper is already concreted, the uphill road to Monark is rocky, slippery and dangerous especially during the rainy season, making it difficult and expensive for farmers to transport their produce to the town proper, and for their children to go to school.
“I will try my best to realize this dream under my administration. If we cannot do it during my first term, then perhaps during my second term,” he assured them.
He praised Canlandog for its lush greenery, photo-perfect scenes, and cool climate, that are ideal for eco-tourism. Once the road is concreted, the place will attract investors, who will put up coffee shops, restaurants, resorts or vacation houses, that will translate to employment for residents and income for the barangay, the press release said.
The mayor also informed them of his projects, such as the beautification of the town plaza, construction of the two-storey building housing the senior citizens’ office, tourism office, library and museum, the two-storey building for the Sangguniang Bayan, and the two-storey building for the command and monitoring center of the MDRRMO.
“In August, the Central Philippine State University will open its extension class in Murcia. Since this is a government university, your children will enjoy free tuition. Initially, there will be 140 students in Information Technology and Agribusiness courses. After five years, CPSU Murcia might become a full-pledged campus, and it can offer more courses and accommodate more students,” Rojas said.
He added that the town is implementing all these projects to benefit all Murciahanons and their children, and assured them that his office is always open to address their concerns and problems.
Rojas was accompanied by Canlandog Barangay Captain Reynaldo Gawan, Sitio Monark president Gina Gibara, MWSD officer Ana Naranja, OIC tourism officer Estela Barbo, Abang Lingkod project coordinator Mario Jaruda, and a Philippine Army contingent, led by Staff Sergeant Rixon Pahilanga, who accompanied the group in their ascent to the Canlandog towers, the press release added.*
