MORE NEWS, KALINGA

Tabuk execs tap prayer power to save cityhood

TABUK CITY, Kalinga — Led by city officials and the local clergy, some 3,500 people gathered here Tuesday to pray for God’s intervention in the resolution of the case regarding the status of the 16 new cities, including this city.

Two motions for reconsideration of the decision of the Supreme Court declaring the laws converting the erstwhile towns into cities unconstitutional are now pending before the SC.

The city government and the local clergy organized the prayer rally on the belief "that we cannot just rely on human wisdom to determine the fate of our future generations and that prayers are a potent means of directing the flow of history."

"We are all Christians. We all believe in the power of prayer. We believe that God can touch the hearts and minds of the justices," Vice Mayor Rainier Sarol said.

Before the participants recited the prepared prayer, speakers representing the executive and legislative departments of the city government, the barangay councils, the senior citizens and the city college scholars related how their sectors were benefited by the conversion of Tabuk into a component city in 2007.

City Agriculturist Gilbert Cawis said that aside from the services rendered by his office with funds from its regular budget in 2008, the city government was able to distribute P3 million worth of seeds and organic fertilizer to hybrid rice farmers.

Councilor Ludar Luyaben said infrastructure development which took place in 2008, the first year of Tabuk as a city, approximated the infrastructure development gains from 2001 to 2007.

The common prayer which was said by the assembly as they held lighted candles asked God to let the Holy Spirit enlighten the justices so that they will come up with a "fair and just verdict, and if possible, a verdict that favors us." -- EAJ