By CESAR JOLITO III

Three newly elected local chief executives in Negros Occidental immediately secured leadership roles in the Provincial Development Council (PDC) after being voted as committee chairpersons during the council’s third quarter meeting on Thursday, September 11.

Bago City Mayor Marina Javellana-Yao now heads the Social Development Committee, Manapla Mayor Mikaela Escalante was chosen to lead the Institutional Development Committee, while La Castellana Mayor Añejo Nico takes charge of the Economic Development Committee.

Meanwhile, Don Salvador Benedicto Mayor Nehemiah de la Cruz was elected co-chairman of the Infrastructure/Physical Land Use Development Committee, working alongside La Carlota City Mayor Ella Celestina Yulo, who was elected chairman.

The organizational meeting was presided over by Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, who formally welcomed the 14 newly elected mayors to the PDC.

“This is the first PDC meeting after the election, so we naturally welcome the newly elected mayors to the body,” Lacson said.

The new city mayors joining the council are from La Carlota, Talisay, Victorias, and Sagay, while the new municipal mayors come from Binalbagan, Toboso, E.B. Magalona, Valladolid, Hinigaran, and Isabela.

In addition, newly accredited non-government organizations and civil society organizations also took their oath as official members of the PDC, further expanding the council’s participation base.

The PDC, composed of five major committees, serves as the primary planning and policy-making body for the province’s development agenda./CJ, WDJ