Mayor Vic With The Poor On His Birthday

by BENNY P. CORTES

Roxas City – The way Roxas City Mayor Vicente B. Bermejo celebrated his birthday is unique. He went to cheer the poor, the orphans and the Home for the Aged at Brgy. Banica on January 22, 2010. Earlier at dawn, many groups of well–wishers trooped to the mayor’s residence at Brgy. Baybay, Roxas City. They serenaded him on his natal day.

City Hall employees, city and barangay officials, socio-civil leaders, the media people, friends, and relatives conveyed their warm greetings to the city chief executive.

At age 64, Mayor Bermejo is indeed happy to reach that age. He is in an excellent health and lifestyle. He visited, for the first time, the Ladies of Charity Home for the Aged where its "boarders" of women who are mostly over 60 years old are comfortably housed. In a brief program he said, "there is a potential way of hosting other income-generating activities to help the place defray its future operating expenses to sustain it for a longer time."

The mayor with his entourage visited also the St. Joseph Orphanage at Our Lady of Grace Academy in Barangay Lonoy. The birthday celebrant distributed grocery items to its "boarders" with the assistance of the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO). He also handed P5,000 to the "Home" plus an assistance fund of P70,000 allocated by the committee of re-electionist City Councilor Carla B. Abela, chair of the City Council’s Committee on Social Services.

Mrs. Guadalupe Seville, administrator of the Home, conveyed her thanks to the Mayor for supporting the institution with financial assistance of P25,000 quarterly through the CSWDO.

The mayor also visited the families of Alba Village in Barangay Dinginan where the families are organized into a group to help improve their community life.

Mayor Bermejo also handed P1,000 cash gift to each Barangay Tanod coming from the 37 barangays of Roxas City. Well wishers were treated to a lunch in Coco Veranda at Barangay Baybay courtesy of City Administrator Rey Cordenillo and former City Administrator Ronald A. Amigo.

The staff and contributors of Sulong News and Madyaas Pen wish the mayor more happy birthdays to come and more honest public services to serve in various endeavors. /MP