POEA may be uprooted to Cebu

Lahug City — President Arroyo told local media Monday night of her plans for the possible transfer of the head office of the Department of Labor and Employment-Philippine Overseas Employment Authority (DOLE-POEA) to Cebu.

Mrs. Arroyo said she will give appropriate instructions to DOLE Secretary Patricia Sto.Tomas to establish a one-stop shop for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) here in Cebu, which is closer to other provinces in Visayas and Mindanao, so people need not go all the way to POEA’s Manila office.

She earlier said she instructed Tourism Secretary Roberto Pagdanganan to transfer his department’s head office to Cebu, the fastest-growing tourist destination in the country.

During an informal chat at the Waterfront Hotel here Monday night, Cebu journalists pressed her about her campaign promises to residents of Cebu. They cited, in particular, her vow to break the myth of "imperial Manila" by transferring key government agencies to Visayas, Mindanao and other areas outside Metro Manila.

"Maybe we can start with DOT. But we can’t transfer everything right away because there will be problems of adjustments," she said. "At least, for the DOT, because Cebu is strategically located, it is easier since it’s all here like Boracay, Siargao, the whale-watching and other tourist destinations are located around here.," the President said.

Mrs. Arroyo replied with a curt "yes" when asked if the DOT’s transfer to Cebu will take place within this year.

She had earlier aired her plans to move the headquarters of the Department of National Defense-Armed Forces of the Philippines from Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City to somewhere in Mindanao.

Mrs. Arroyo cited the DOT head office’s transfer to Cebu and the Department of Agriculture’s transfer to Zamboanga City are in line with her support for the proposed shift to a federal form of government by decentralizing the location of key government agencies.

She mildly rebuked Cebu journalists for trying to fish for information on future appointments to her Cabinet — should she be proclaimed the winner of the presidential race — noting that the congressional canvass of votes for president and vice president is still being conducted.

"We will talk about appointments (in Cabinet) later after the proclamation," Mrs. Arroyo said.

The President, through Executive Secretary Alberto Romulo, had earlier asked all her Cabinet officials and presidential advisers to turn in their courtesy resignations since their term of office ends when she steps down at noon of June 30. — Marichu Villanueva