DAVAO CITY – The municipal government of Sto. Tomas, Davao del Norte headed by Mayor Ernesto Evangelista conducted a two-day Executive-Legislative Agenda (ELA) Capacity Development (CapDev) Formulation Workshop on September 11-12 at Hijo Resort, Tagum City in Davao del Norte. Evangelista met with his legislators to set the direction of his administration and to identify the priority programs in what he described as “pro-people” agenda.
“The Executive and Legislative Agenda will chart the direction of the Municipality of Sto. Tomas for the next three years under my term as the Mayor. I have high hopes that the results of the ELA workshop would benefit every Thomasians in terms of the socio-economic development of our town,” Evangelista said.
The two-day ELA workshop was facilitated by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). DILG’s Jeanette J. Palmera, the LGOO VII who acted as the facilitator, underscored the importance of ELA for a municipal government.
“The ELA is mutually developed and agreed upon by the executive and legislative departments of the LGU in consultation with the various stakeholders.ELA is a term plan. It should be grounded based on the needs of the communities,” Palmera said.
ELA is a term-based plan culled out from the Comprehensive Development Plan which contains the major development thrusts and priorities of both the executive and the legislative branches for the three year term of office.
“ELA should be anchored on CDP and CLUP. It should be in reference with CDP since it is just implementation tool that marries the powers of the Executive and Legislative branches,” she stressed.
Evangelista anchored his programs in President Rodrigo Duterte’s Ambisyon Nation 2040 agenda where he strengthens the delivery of basic social services to the people under his pet social program “Dangpanan ni Tomas.”
Among the priority projects and programs identified were the establishment of a primary hospital, the “Lamayan ni Tomas,” a social welfare program, “Kusina ni Tomas,” a program that is mobilized to provide quick meals during disaster.
On education, Evangelista strengthens even more the sports and development programs for the youth, the establishment of Community Based Teen Center, offering more scholarship programs, among others.
The local chief executive also prioritizes the campaign on illegal drugs, insurgency control, and the installation of CCTV cameras in major streets and establishments.
Other priority projects and programs were tourism, agricultural technology, subsidies to rice farmers and banana growers, quality infrastructure, livelihood and skills trainings, waste water treatment facility, watershed protection and management, and disaster risk reduction and mitigation, among others.
For the legislative, Vice Mayor Gabrielle Eric Estela consolidates the priority legislative agenda to facilitate and fast-track the services of the municipal government.
The legislators vowed to fully support the programs of the local chief executive bannering his political mantra: “Aksyon Ang Solusyon” where issues and concerns of the public were addressed immediately.
