TACLOBAN CITY – The Secretary of the Interior and Local Government, Atty. Benjamin “Benhur” C. Abalos, Jr. visited the DILG Regional Office 8 on July 22, 2022, and interfaced with the personnel headed by Atty. Arnaldo E. Escober Jr., Regional Director.

Sec. Abalos highlighted the Department’s direction and priorities under the leadership of Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. He emphasized some of the policies and programs to be prioritized by the DILG, such as assisting the LGUs in expediting the  distribution of booster shots, implementing the Mandanas-Garcia Ruling, continuing the efforts against illegal drugs, digitization of records in LGUs, and the creation of local and international sister cities in terms of disaster preparedness.

Sec. Abalos also requested the DILG R8 to assist the national government in uplifting the currently ranked municipalities under 4th, 5th, and 6th income classes in terms of devolution, insurgency, and the war on drugs, so that in 6 years, no municipalities will be ranked as such.

Joining the SILG during the visit were USec. Margarita N. Gutierrez and Usec. Lord A. Villanueva. DILG R8 was represented by RD Atty. Arnaldo E. Escober Jr., ARD Atty. Darwin N. Bibar, and other officials and personnel. Also present were PCol. Michael Palermo, Acting City Director of the Tacloban City Police Office and Atty. Maximo T. Lasaca I of the NAPOLCOM.