Mun. Assessor,Ruben Magoncia & members of his family during the party tendered in his honor

           A despidida party, a tribute to the long and dedicated service of Mr. Ruben Magoncia, Municipal Assessor of this municipality was tendered by the LGU employees on April 30, 2009 at the Mainit Lakeside Legacy Resort.

            The occasion was attended not only by the employees and officials of the LGU but by the family and kins of the honoree. It was indeed an emotion- filled gathering.The honoree including some members of his family and some of those in attendance went sentimental when the former delivered his response to the tribute delivered by his comrades at work, Engr.Raymundo Mordeno and Perfecto Sindol and during the nostalgic rendition of the vocal duet of Mr. Mordeno and the honoree himself. 

            Each office of the LGU offered songs and talks as intermission numbers in the program while the municipal mayor, Ramon B. Mondano delivered his take home message. The air was filled with wishes of fun filled and happy retirement and messages of gratefulness for the happy and memorable camaraderie. 

            Mr. Magoncia retired from the service after 18 years of work in the local government as municipal assessor. The post he vacated is recently occupied by Mr. Perfecto Sindol, the newly designated officer in charge.

by Robert E. Roperos
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Surigao del Norte (17 February) — “Finally, the chief executive of the country has visited this one-of-a-kind tourism infrastructure of this town,” thus said Mainit Mayor Ramon Mondano when asked on his reaction of the visit of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to Mainit Kasili Lakeside Resort yesterday.

Mayor Mondano gladly welcome President Aroyo at Surigao College of Agriulture and Technology

According to Mayor Mondano, the President’s visit was scheduled three times but due to unavoidable circumstances, the schedules were postponed.

“That is why, we are very, very happy that the President has find her time visiting this LGU-funded resort even it is not included in her itinerary today,” Mayor Mondano said.

From Surigao del Norte College of Arts and Technology (SNCAT) campus where she (Pres. Arroyo) presented the Mindanao Agribusiness projects, the presidential party motored for about ten minutes to see for themselves the amenities offered by this new tourism infrastructure of the province that is something to be proud of.

| View Show | Create Your Own        (President Arroyo at SNCAT)

After taking her lunch, the President and her party were able to view the resort facing the majestic Lake Mainit,  the fourth largest in the country.

Elated over the efforts of the local government unit headed by Mayor Mondano, the President handed-over check of undetermined amount to the good mayor as her way of assisting the noble project that will surely boost the tourism industry not only in the municipality of Mainit, but as well as the entire Caraga Region.

President Arroyo at Mainit Kasili Lakeside Resort & Hotel

| View Show | Create Your Own

Mainit Kasili Lakeside Resort has 56 fully-airconditioned rooms, three swimming pools, a convention center that can cater around 200 persons, two videoke bars, a tennis court, and a restaurant offering dishes made from fishes that can be found on Lake Mainit. One of the most famous is the “kasili” or electric eel. (continue)
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Source: PIA Press Release 2010/02/17
Related News: Lakeside resort to boost Caraga tourism (Manila Bulletin)
Videos: Mayor Mondano’s Welcome message to President Arroyo

On the Occasion of the 111^th    Independence Day Celebration

            This local government unit observed the celebration of the 111^th Independence Day of the Republic of the Philippines. This awe-inspiring and significant event was participated by all the agencies of the local government unit.

                School children and teachers of the Secondary and Elementary schools in the Poblacion and the teachers of the Mainit District also joined in the joyous commemoration of freedom. The event was commenced by a flag ritual delivered by selected students and teachers of Mainit National High School. If taken seriously by everyone in attendance, the flag ritual which was solemnly enacted would have inculcated a deeper love of country and would have metamorphosed a non concerned citizen to a concerned one. The wreath laying ceremony followed, with all agencies in the LGU represented by the heads including the national offices laid wreaths and flowers at the foot of the monument of the Phil. National Hero, Dr. Jose Rizal. From there, the public moved to the freedom stage where a program was held, featuring songs, dances and tableau depicting the Filipino struggle for freedom. The significance of the celebration was delivered by Mr. Carlos A. Odtojan, principal of Quezon Elem. School.

                Mayor Mondano in his inspirational message encourage every Mainitnon to take active part in the building of the Mainit community instead of being fence sitters, watching for every mistake the administration commits or making negative commentaries to every undertaking the administration undertakes.

                “Concerned citizens should help build rather than destroy. Community building is not the concern of public officials and employees alone but by everyone. Good citizenship is nationalism and patriotism-loving our country in general and the community in particular. Love of country is shown not only by giving our lives in the battlefield but also becoming good citizens- contributing our talents, ideas, efforts, time and resources for the good of the community, not by giving empty commentaries”, the mayor added.

                Poverty which is the greatest battle we are fighting now to make freedom more meaningful could best be addressed with our united and concerted efforts and with our vigilance. “In unity there’s strength the saying goes” ,he added.

                Majority of the municipal officials were  in attendance during the celebration, namely: Vice Mayor Jessnar C. Mosende, SB Member Al Rodin Behagan, Roxie Salino, Cayetano Recabo, Nelson Reyes, Fely Odtojan and Arturo Mosote joined the celebration.

                It was concluded with the community singing of “Ako ay Pilipino” and a snack served by the LGU.
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               A total of three thousand three hundred seventy seven (3,377) residents of Mainit are recipients of the PhilHealth ID Cards under the PhilHealth Indigent Program of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, dubbed as “Medicare Para Sa Masa”,the program which aimed at providing free medical and hospitalization services to Filipino indigent families.

                The more than three thousand PhilHealth beneficiary families were sponsored by Congressman Guilermo A. Romarate  1,922; Governor Barbers and Mayor Mondano, sharing equally,955and Mayor Mondano alone,500.

                The PhilHealth ID Cards were distributed to the beneficiaries during a program held at the Mainit Municipal gymnasium on July 31, 2009. PhilHealth beneficiaries from the different barangays were assembled to receive personally their ID cards from Mayor Ramon B. Mondano, Mr. Rodrigo  P. Ariar, MPA, the Service Officer Chief of PhilHealth, Surigao  City and Dr. Jessie Aguilera, Mun. Health Officer of this municipality.

                Mayor Mondano during his message assured the Mainitnons that his administration will accommodate 100% of the indigent Mainitnons as beneficiaries to the Program come next year.

                “Last year there were only 1,773 PhilHealth beneficiaries in our municipality .This year it increases to almost 100% due to the increased congressional assistance and that of the local government.

                “This is your money and we want you to have a personal share from this. What this LGU will pay for your health insurance, is not our money but yours. Because of poverty, we could not afford to hospitalize our own family members, henceforth we resort to the services of quack doctors which oftentimes become totally disadvantageous”, the mayor enthused. “We will therefore endeavor to have everyone served by enrolling them with the PhilHealth. The LGU will include this in next year’s budget” ,the mayor added.

                The PhilHealth distribution program was attended not only by PhilHealth beneficiaries but by all RHU personnel,Barangay Health workers and the Sanguniang Bayan Members, namely: SB Arturo Mosote, Fely Odtojan, Nelson Reyes and Cayetano Recabo.
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                The legislative building, a dream come true for the Mainitnons particularly the Sangguniang Bayan members came into reality with the appropriation of three million and five hundred thousand pesos (3,500,000.00) from the Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF) of Cong. Guillermo A. Romarate, Jr.

                It is recalled that in May, 2008 Mayor Mondano and Vice Mayor Mosende together went to Manila to personally hand in the resolution of the Sangguniang Bayan requesting the Honorable Congressman of District II, Congressman Romarate for a fund appropriation for the Sangguniang Bayan building construction.

                In November of the same year the SB building construction commenced with the Department of Public Works and Highways Surigao del Norte 1^st Eng’g District implementing the project through JMT construction.

                The new legislative building will become the permanent home of  legislation in the municipality of Mainit. It houses the office of the Vice Mayor and the Sangguniang Bayan members.

                Cong. Romarate in his speech during the program, pledged to finish the second storey of the said building “I don’t want to leave this SB building unfinished. I will finish the construction of the second storey”, the Cong. averred.

                Cong. Matugas, on the other hand pledged his continuous support to the programs of the municipal government under Mayor Mondano. He said that although he is representing District I only, he contributed 1,000 sacks of cement to the construction of Mainit Lakeside Legacy Resort and 200 bags to the DepEd Elementary Schools in the district of Mainit.

                Cong.Romarate, Mayor Mondano and Vice Mayor Mosende, who each gave speeches, ended their respective talks jokingly with “I shall return”.

             Mayor Ramon Mondano allows no idle minutes for himself and the construction workers in the Mainit Lakeside Legacy Resort, as he doubles effort to catch up with his timetable of inaugurating the structure in September this year.

                “I want to prove to all and sundry that this leadership could give rise to a multi-million structure despite absence of the expertise of a construction engineer but the LGU manpower including myself, to manage and supervise the construction; and from meager funds generated locally. The structure if completed could become a concrete landmark of my administration- my legacy to the people of Mainit, which for generations the Mainitnons could take pride of.” The mayor averred.

                “Contrary to claims of many, particularly the fench sitters, this LGU has not contracted any loan or debt whatsoever for the resort construction as of date. The LGU spending of more than 8 million pesos comes from local funds.” The mayor added.

                “I have plans of contracting a loan worth 7 million with the Land Bank of the Philippines for the development of Mapaso Hot Spring  into a  Wellness Resort and Marayag Water Falls Resort, since the development of these two tourist potentials will compliment the need of a tour package for tourists visiting Mainit when we completed the Lakeside Legacy Resort”. The mayor further explained.

                It is recalled that during the first term of office of Mayor Mondano in 1992, he also contracted a loan of 3.5 million pesos with the Land Bank of the Philippines in the construction of the Mainit Poblacion Water System. After 3 years, the LGU finished the loan amortization without hampering obviously the development projects of the Local Government Unit; and which at present is earning revenues for the LGU.

                Presently, the Mainit Lakeside Legacy Resort is 70% completed. The 48-guest rooms of the 58-rooms two-storey hotel  are already tiled and painted including the four suite rooms, two conference rooms, two swimming pools- one for children with slides and one for adults, plus the six concrete cottages and two lounging areas. However, 10 more guest rooms and the reception room in the ground floor are yet to be painted. The bulk of the work required for completion of the project is the ground filling, the construction of the convention center and the restaurant which at present are on going.

                Meanwhile, Congressman Guillermo A. Romarate, Jr., representative for District II, Surigao del Norte, visited the Mainit Lakeside Legacy Resort during the SB Building inauguration on June 9, 2009. The Congressman appreciated so much the Mayor’s effort of providing and envisioning such a lofty project. He expressed surprise how the Mayor managed to undertake such a large-cost structure with funds sourced locally. Generally infrastructures costing millions are undertaken by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) with funds coming from the national coffers.

                Congressman Romarate, promised to appropriate 5.5 million pesos from his third Quarter Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) for the construction of the LAKEWALL in the Lakeside Legacy Resort site.

                Part of the resort development, the Congressman aided to Mainit, is the construction of the 65-meter concreting of Rizal Street going to the lake at the side of the resort, which at present is already completed.

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