Ex-PENRO chief back to head office

CEBU, Philippines — The former officer-in-charge (OIC) of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) is back to lead the office again.

Gov. Hilario Davide III designated Rodel Bontuyan to head the PENRO starting this month. Last year, Bontuyan was appointed as officer-in-charge of the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO).

He explained that the Civil Service Commission has a protocol which sets that one year is the maximum period for one to be appointed as an OIC. To cite a similar case, his predecessor, Baltazar Tribunalo, also served as PENRO chief until November 2017 but had to let go of his temporary concurrent post after one year and focused on his position as the head of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO).

When former PPDO Chief Architect Florentino Nimor resigned in January 2018, Bontuyan was appointed as the OIC of PPDO.

“Basically, I’m back because my stint as PPDO OIC is over. I was tasked with the PDPFP [Provincial Development and Physical Framework Plan],” Bontuyan said.

The PDPFP for 2019 to 2028 has been approved by the Cebu Provincial Board in December 2018.

He described that the PDPFP contains development projects which were identified as necessary through a series public consultations in October 2018 from across Cebu Province.

He said it also contains big ticket projects proposed by JICA such as a fourth bridge, trans-axial highway, port development, and a mass transport system.

“We need at least P500 billion. That's why we have to be aggressive in finding sources not just from the national government but also from the private sector like PPP [Public-Private Partnership],” Bontuyan said.

The Capitol is still looking for a new PPDO chief. For now, Provincial Administrator Mark Tolentino temporarily heads the office.

Meanwhile, then PENRO OIC Jayson Lozano is back as the enforcement division head of PENRO starting this month. — MBG (FREEMAN)