Two Local Chief Executives (LCEs) and three Private Sector Representatives (PSRs) were nominated by the Regional Development Council (RDC) VIII during its Third Quarter Full Council Meeting to lead the region’s highest policy-making body for the next three years.

Tacloban City Mayor Alfred S. Romualdez and Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico L. Petilla were nominated by the Council from among the LCEs present in the meeting.

Mayor Romualdez said he accepted the nomination as he felt that the people of Eastern Visayas are his constituents since whatever happens in Tacloban affects the development of the entire region.

Meanwhile, Governor Petilla, who served as Chairperson of the Council from 2013-2016, emphasized the importance of the position in ensuring the Council fulfills its goal of bringing inclusive growth to all corners of the region.

From the private sector, PSRs Roy Bernard C. Fiel, Luisita J. Quebec, and Miguel T. Tezon were nominated for the positions.

PSR Fiel of the agriculture and fishery sector was Co-Chairperson of the Council from 2016-2019, while PSR Quebec is a four-termer PSR for the mass media sector, and PSR Tezon of the labor sector is a member of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) VIII.

The Council decided not to allow nomination of LCEs and PSRs in absentia, voting 27-5 against it. They reasoned that it would be difficult to ascertain the willingness of someone who is absent to be nominated for the position.

The names of the nominees will soon be submitted to the Office of the President for their appointment. Executive Order (EO) No. 325, the primary legal basis for the reorganization and strengthening of the RDCs, gives the President the authority to choose the top officials of the Council.

Article and Photos by: Knulp Aseo, NEDA VIII