Mayor Cristina Romualdez meets Italian envoy

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines  — Mayor Cristina Romualdez had buckled down to work in the initial week as the new city chief executive, and among her first works was a meeting with Italy Ambassador Massimo Roscigno.

The envoy paid a courtesy call on Cristina and discussed with her Italy’s $3-million donation for permanent shelters for Yolanda-displaced families in the city.

Roscigno, who was accompanied by Italian Mission head Giuseppe Smith, checked on the implementation of the donation, which was handed over to the national government during the time of then President Benigno Aquino III.

Cristina, in thanking Italy’s support to the city, in turn handed over a token and certificate of appreciation to the ambassador who gladly received them

The mayor said Italy was one of the first responders who came to assist the heavily devastated city by Yolanda. It implemented several rehabilitation projects, and educational assistance restoring several Day Care Centers.

Soon after her meeting with Roscigno, Cristina spent an hour discussing development mattters with officials of the Japan International Cooperative Agency (JICA), details of which were not divulged yet to the media.

Immediately after her oathtaking and inauguration last June 30, the city’s first female mayor ordered the reorganization of the city government by streamlining its processes for better delivery of services to the people.

Cristina later administered the groundbreaking ceremony of the construction of the building of the Cooperative Development Authority regional office at Barangay Abucay.

Others who paid courtesy calls on the mayor were Police Regional Office-8 Director, Chief Superintendent Elmer Beltesar, and Tacloban City Police Director, Senior Superintendent Rolando Badi.

Cristina thanked the two police officials and assured them that the city government will support the anti-illegal drugs war of President Rodrigo Duterte, as well as in the maintenance of peace and order in the metropolis.   (FREEMAN)