First District Board Member Aldner Damalerio has filed a resolution asking the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to conduct a Passport on Wheels program here in the province next year.
In an interview on Oct. 5, 2022, Damalerio said he filed the resolution in order to urge the DFA to extend passporting service to several Boholanos who need to get or renew their respective travel documents.
The Passport on Wheels will be a huge help to Boholanos who need to travel to Cebu City or Dumaguete City just to secure passports, Damalerio said.
The board member added that he asked the DFA to conduct the Passport on Wheels program either on the 1st quarter or 3rd quarter of 2023.
The last time the DFA had a Passport on Wheels program was in March and April of 2022.
Damalerio reported that during the Passport on Wheels program in March 2022, about 1,900 Boholanos were able to avail themselves of the passporting services of the DFA.
The DFA opened 1,500 slots for the March 2022 program, but was able to serve 400 more Boholanos than it was supposed to.
He said that close to 1,600 Boholanos who were able to visit the processing center failed to get passports as the DFA could no longer accomodate them.
Meanwhile, Damalerio’s Committee on Public Utilities and Franchisee will be conducting a committed hearing to probe the alleged high electricity costs in the province.
Last Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022, Board Member Tomas Abapo made a privilege speech asking for an inquiry regarding the power rates being charged by Bohol 1 Electric Cooperative (Boheco 1) following a report by a radio station based in Iloilo City.
The report alleged that Boheco 1 charges P19.55 per kilowatt hour which is touted to be the highest in the Visayas.
Damalerio said that after Abapo made the privilege speech, a correction was given to the former about the real rate being charged by Boheco 1.
In a post, Boheco 1 claims that it charged its member-consumers P17.2086 per kilowatt hour back in September 2022.
Damalerio said he is keen to determine the factors affecting the power rates in the province and will be inviting representatives from the distribution utilities.
He reckons that the issue would be discussed after several meetings to determine the reason for the high power rates.
He is focused to discuss the issue as power rate hikes are important topics for the people of Bohol.