City readies plans
vs. int’l recession
BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO

The Bacolod City government is reconvening its local economic council to map out contingency plans to cushion the impact of the international economic recession.

Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia yesterday said “We will try to list down the possible effects of the global economic recession on us.” He said this has affected even first world countries like Japan, Germany and the U.S. “We need to be prepared because the Philippines will not be spared,” he added.

Leonardia said he met with City Administrator Roger Balo to discuss possible solutions to combat the effect of the global economic crisis.

Negros Occidental Gov. Isidro Zayco yesterday said he has asked the Capitol department heads to submit their programs for 2009 so he can identify the projects to be prioritized this year.

“We need to know where the P194 million fund for development programs will go,” he said after meeting with the department heads yesterday.

Zayco said that after they submit their lists of programs, he will review them, and determine which will be prioritized.

The Provincial Agrarian Reform Office has halted moves for  compulsory acquisition of land in Negros Occidental.

“At the moment, we are awaiting clarification from our head office on the status of properties whose owners had been issued notices of coverage before the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program law expired on December 31,” PARO head Teresita Depeñoso said yesterday.

When the law expired, the PARO had yet to cover 150,000 hectares under CARP, about 50 percent of which were offered under the Voluntary Offer to Sell scheme and the rest was to be covered under compulsory acquisition, she said.