LAST MESSAGE FROM A RETIREE

(The following message was delivered by Engr. Sinforoso Lubiano during his despedida get-together last July 31, 2014). My 28 years sweet memories with the Local Government Unit of Calubian, Leyte. Let me start from the beginning;

(Engr. Lubiano delivered his farewell message to his LGU family during the despedida get-together party last July 31, 2014)

I was employed here last July 26, 1986. First of all I would like to thank God for giving me good health and to all His interventions and guidance in all this 28 years that I reach this day because with our good health it is impossible to continue working and many many more reasons to thank Him. Also I would like to thank all those who have worked with the LGU from permanent positions to JOs with all these years. I say this because I am not working alone in this institution but as a member of one family. I could say that I am fortunate enough that the last day of my service with the Municipality of Calubian falls in this time, during the leadership of Mayor Palconit because I fell very much honored to have been given a recognition of all the efforts and accomplishments that I have contributed to this unit from the beginning of my employment.

In our first years with the LGU, I found out that Calubian needs much attention, assistance from the national government because we have no fund to be used for the improvement of our Municipality like funds for maintenance specially the roads. Because before the local government code the local government has no funds for the infrastructures. So because of this situation we initiated doing road and bridge maintenance to the northern barangays riding bicycle. We start here 7:30am and come back at 7pm. Inspite of our efforts in maintenance works, big maintenance problem still remained like for example road surfacing because we do not have the equipment. The mayor requests equipment from DPWH or province to be used in the road maintenance but we can not fully maximized the utilization of the equipment because the equipment can not go to the barangays, can not pass over the dilapidated bridges. You know from Calubian to Jubay there are 20 bridges all in all. All these bridges are very old and dilapidated. This is the main reason why the road is very difficult specially during rainy days because of financial problem, no funds available for maintenance. Even our salaries are not on schedule because of this financial problem.

Parallel to this situation, I being the Municipal Engineer sometimes I experienced humiliation with regards to my position because I can always hear some bad queries why Calubian has a municipal engineer even it is a small town while big towns like Carigara, Hilongos, Palo and others have none? In this situation I am not at peace because Mayor Carlos Cotiangco wrote a letter to the Office of the Commission on appointments to abolish my position due to lack of funds. So what I did was to prepare for it. Every time I visit my wife and my eldest child in Manila was to find and apply for possible job in Manila as preparation for the coming termination of my position.

However the local code was formulated and it provides all the LGUs answer and solutions to their plight from the limited funds to the availability of funds, and that’s the time the LGU started to improve, implement projects for development. Fortunately the Municipal Engineer position became mandatory in all municipalities. In this situation, I could see the intervention of our God thru this Local Code which until now we are enjoying. Without the local code is another thing. So with the effect of Local Code, in our case we started the construction of box culverts and spillways going to the northern barangays to replace the dilapidated bridges and started to buy equipment as well.

As of now only two bridges left un-concreted, the Villanueva and Railes bridge. As you can remember this two bridges will always be closed to four-wheel vehicles when rainy days come because the timber pile supports are usually carried, washed out by flood and causes the bridge to collapse. From the situation we continued to make some improvement to solve that perennial problem that when rainy days come these two bridges are always close to four-wheels. So many services will be affected and hampered during rainy days most of the times. Of course the economy of our town is also affected because our town fiesta falls on this time. Visitors from the northern barangays take pumpboat as their transportation during fiesta celebration. As one of the obligation to provide passable roads and bridges to the public, we installed concrete pile to support of the bridges and to withstand the strong water currents during flooding. This cut off the long periods of suffering and sacrifices for the traveling public due to high labor charges, fares and other difficulties. Since these two bridges were supported with concrete piles, you have forgotten the difficulties when it collapse; it is very difficult to pass specially senior citizens.

(Hon. Doroteo N. Palconit assisted by Mrs Bernadette Mendoza awarded the Plague of Recognition to Engr. Sinforoso "Boy" Lubiano)

When Mayor Doroteo Palconit assumed office, I immediately suggested to him the conversion of the Calubian-Jubay road from local to national. It has been part of my plan that before my retirement with hope, this Calubian-Jubay road will be converted to a national road. The benefit of this is, the Municipal Government can give more services to the people derived from the savings from the conversion. I am telling this because these are my contributions to the development of our town. I am thankful enough that the mayor give importance to my suggestion and now this road is already a national road. Thru the joint effort of our Mayor Hon. Doroteo Palconit and Congressman Hon. Andres Salvacion the long waited road conversion has come to reality. Now that I am already 61 years old, I am already qualified for retirement. Some whom I met asks same questions why I am retiring. Still able according to them. Being inspired by the Gospel according to Mateo, “there was one brother that complaint to Jesus Christ that his brother is not sharing equally, cheated their heirs from their father. Jesus answered, beware of any kind of avarice. Life is not ensured by the abundance of Goods, but in every word that comes from the mouth of God. This is why I thank God for inspiring me to retire today. The improvement of our town today which we are all enjoying is because we have a development oriented leader, Hon. Doroteo Palconit. In his campaign for a change I can say that I am one of this contributor to this because I am one who put him into power. I would like to ask forgiveness to all I have offended, and I hope you will forgive me. Thank you.

(Engr Lubiano and his better half Marivic)