Unfazed with flooding, town mayor helps people find decent living

Unfazed with flooding, town mayor helps people find decent living

CARMEN, Davao del Norte, April 13 (PIA) ---Flooding has failed to douse the spirit  of Carmen Municipal Mayor Marcelino Perandos who continues seeking means to help his constituents find a decent way of earning a living.

                He has put up two structures along the  national highway to house balut and pinoy egg vendors who, he said, are flood victims who have been earning a  living through selling duck eggs.
                These vendors used to sell baluts and pinoys along the highway with small makeshift huts or just tables and chairs to display their goods.

                “Gikuha nako sila sa dalan ug gibutang sa Balutan sa Carmen. (I got them out along highway and put them together at the Balutan sa Carmen.)

                In an interview, Perandos revealed that  the local government of Carmen shelled out P250,000 to build the two units of structures which house stalls for balut and pinoy egg vendors.  These are located along the highway in barangays Ising and Tuganay.

                A total of 34 vendors  are given spaces but Perandos said he is ready to build another structure to house more balut and pinoy vendors.

                Perandos is also seeking the assistance of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Department of Agriculture to provide technical assistance and help vendors level up their trade.

                He has also sought the approval of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to allow him to put up the vending structures in areas which still belongs to the road right of way of DPWH.

                Carmen town lies along the flood plains of Liboganon River Basin which catches waters from the upland areas in the mountain ranges dividing Davao del Norte and Bukidnon provinces.  The town usually suffers from flood  when heavy rains come during rainy season and during occurrences of low pressure area (LPA).

                On the other hand,  Perandos is optimistic about more livelihood  and job opportunities for Carmen residents once the coastal road connecting Panabo and Carmen gets completed within the year.

                He said the project is implemented under the Tourism Road Infrastructure Program of the Department of Tourism in cooperation with the Department of Public Works and Highways.

                As  it stretches from the coastal area of nearby Panabo City and traverses the coastal barangays of the Municipality of Carmen, the road is expected to open up industrial investors to locate in the Carmen.

                “With that there will be more job opportunities and there will be more money circulating in the market of Carmen,” he said while looking forward for the increased spending power of his people.

                He thanked Provincial Governor Rodolfo P. del Rosario and 2nd District Congressman Antonio Lagdameo for making Carmen become a recipient of the access road program of DOT.   (PIA 11/ Jeanevive Duron-Abangan)