Team Odsey bats for water, peace and order

HAPPY WEEKEND
Gina Dizon    

BONTOC, Mountain Province -- In a press conference here, Team Odsey in their bid for good governance called for delivery of basic services citing water services, waste management, peace and order, women and children rights and barangay subsidy. 

Team Odsey is composed of councilor aspirants- Mario Kalang-ad, Jerome Tudlong,SannysterPatingan, John Pelew, Herman Farnican, Constancio Miranda, Mario Cayabo, ErlindaBucaycay and mayoral aspirant  Franklin Odsey.   

With lack of water being a major concern in Bontoc,  Odsey said there is a need to follow up remaining Bontoc water funds at the  Department of Public Works and  Highway since the P50 million plus  project initiated early years of  2000  stopped  implementation due questions of  water source and other technical issues as to size and material of pipes used. 

Remaining water funds stand at P8 million it was learned. Barlig mayoral candidate Geraldo Lamaton in an earlier press conference with Montanosa Press Club  brought attention to leaking pipes found along the Talubin road  leading to Bontoc.

Odsey noted the need for emergency funds to address urgent concerns such as leaking pipes. On pressing issues of  garbage and  waste management, counsel for the LGU of  Bontoc and now aspirant councilor SannysterPatingan said  the agreement with protesting Kalinga Anti Pollution Action Group (KAPAG) heavily reached with the Court of Appeals February this year, for a six month stoppage of the  Caluttit dump site and establishment of a sanitary landfill faces difficulties of  implementation considering budget and site and road  access issues,  to the most demanding a two- year establishment of said land fill. 

It was learned that construction of an engineered sanitary land fill demands a P90 million budget. Considering constraints of meeting the six month deadline including issues of free prior and informed  consent (FPIC)among affected lot owners to land fill site, Odsey advanced the need to forward  reconsideration to the CA.

Nevertheless, Patingan called for  proper  waste  segregation among  households of  Bontoc to  reduce the  dump at  Caluttit found along the banks of the Chico River while land fill measures shall be  addressed by Bontoc  LGU.

Councilor Jerome Tudlong informed the public of  a P3 million fund from the  municipal government already allotted for the purchase of a lot identified at Faliling, Bontoc Ili.        

On peace and order  issues,  Radio Natin station  manager and  councilor-aspirant  John Tayog Pelew said there is a need to install CCTVs in all outlets of central Bontoc  particularly roads leading  to Tukukan towards Kalinga,  Samoki towards Ifugao, and Chakchakan towards  the Baguio-Bontoc road, and in other  critical areas  along the Chico River, 

Bontoc bore witness to three violent deaths in the  past  eight  months particularly that of the death of a 15 year  old girl in one snack shop one afternoon, and the unresolved deaths of  Sarah Becyagen in  September  2012  and Florencia Kayohan  January this year. 

Councilor-aspirant  Mario Kalang-ad called for unity among the people to curb criminality; Tudlong calling for more police visibility in town and  the Team citing the need to increase policemen and stricter implementation of  liquor ban.

Bucaycay called on parents to be more strict with their  children and monitor their whereabouts.