Catbalogan hosts gathering of 300 officials from Asia-Pacific LGUs

CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar — Over 300 officials from 20 local government units in 19 countries from the Asia-Pacific region are in this city to draft the Catbalogan Declaration, which will enumerate the measures they will take to solve a plethora of problems, including poverty and climate change.

The local government officials gathered in the capital city of Samar province for the United Cities and Local Governments-Asia Pacific (UCLG-ASPAC) Executive Bureau Meeting, where they would finalize the steps that each member-unit must implement to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations on Sept. 25, 2015.

Catbalogan Mayor Stephany Uy-Tan told the Inquirer at the sidelines of the opening ceremonies held at M Grand Resort on Wednesday afternoon that the group members were unanimous in choosing the city for this year’s summit, the first international event of its kind to be hosted in Eastern Visayas.

“The host should be voted by the majority,” she said. “But when the members learned it was Catbalogan, everybody said ‘yes.’ No one else bid.”

“We’ve been a member for almost two years, and they said they saw us being very active,” Uy-Tan explained.

She said she consulted the private sector first before making the final decision and then started planning after the selection was made last year.

“We’re just a new city, a baby city,” she said. “We do not yet have the best facilities. But we make up for it through the dedication and warmth of the people. “We only said ‘yes’ when we knew we can do the hosting.”

The mayor said she hoped that the city’s hosting of the conference would show its commitment to address peopl’’s problems by adopting the SDGs, as a concrete step in fulfilling the promises made to her constituents.

UCLG-ASPAC co-president Emil Elistianto Dardak, mayor of the Trenggalek Regency in Indonesia, said the organization also serves as a link among local government units to facilitate further cooperation and coordination with each other.

“Together, we will be able to make our voices heard,” he said at a news conferernce held on Wednesday afternoon. “United, we can make a difference, for greater causes.”

The delegates already had a glimpse of how Eastern Visayas could empower the people against poverty and climate change through a trade fair and a science and technology fair they helped open on Wednesday morning.

Climate Change Commissioner Frances Victorio also discussed the effects of global warming on countries in the Asia-Pacific region in a forum held after the opening ceremonies.

Mayor Tri Rismaharini of Surabaya City in Indonesia also shared with the delegates how women’s empowerment and other programs helped her city become more economically and socially progressive.

Uy-Tan said the international event would also include the barangay officials and local government councils through various activities.

“The barangay captains are needed for the localization of the SDGs, while the councils will help us in the executive in terms of local government programs”” she explained.

The summit started on April 5 and runs until April 7. /atm