On her first 100 days as Tacloban City’s chief executive, Mayor Cristina Gonzales Romualdez is already making waves of hope, confidence and approval for helping her constituents, especially the poor, find new life in the long, tortuous aftermath of super typhoon “Yolanda.”
Deep in her thoughts is the upliftment of the economic conditions especially of those living in squatter areas along the shores of the city. Mayor Cristina (she is popularly called Kring-kring, but I like to address her this way) set up the Comprehensive Livelihood and Entrepreneurship Program with the less privileged as benefactors.
She expressed pleasure and contentment at the progress in the construction of dwellings for the thousands of families left homeless by the world’s strongest typhoon that made Tacloban its ground zero. Of the 15,000 families affected, some 2,000 families have been moved to new houses. The number of families relocated to the northern part of the city is expected to rise in the next few weeks.
Mayor Cristina said she was extra appreciative of the concrete response of the National Housing Authority, the GMA Kapuso Foundation, a private establishment and an international group, Habitat for Humanity, who extended substantial help in the rehabilitation efforts. The pretty lady mayor specifically mentioned the NHA who provided the most assistance. By December 2016, more families will be added to the 2,000 now living in new homes.
In the meantime, Mayor Cristina offered jobs to young ladies in her saloon in the city. The Cristina Saloon offers health and beauty services, including reflexology and massage.
The city government has 900 regular employees and accommodated about 2,000 youthful professionals under job orders to augment workers at the City Hall. Some of its buildings were constructed during the term of her husband, former mayor Alfred Romualdez.
Road expansions in the city proper and in barangays as well as farm to market roads are some of the regular projects being undertaken.
Mayor Cristina also recommended plans to improve the water delivery system of the Leyte Metropolitan Water District to adequately supply all households in the city. Whilr no serious crimes have been reported in the city, she vowed to end illegal drug use in the city especially when she learned that about 1,000 people gave themselves up for rehabilitation. Mayor Cristina expressed her appreciation and thanks for President Rodrigo Duterte’s all-out war against illegal drugs in the country. Her vision for Tacloban is to have a city always safe, clean and beautiful and further developed to attract more investors.