MANILA - Lazi, Siquijor Mayor James Monte urged his constituents working abroad to invest in local businesses in their hometown to help it recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mayor Monte said this during the Friday episode of the Network Briefing News hosted by Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar where he was a guest.

“Nais kong ipanawagan at humihingi ako ng tulong sa ating mga kababayan sa iba ibang panig ng mundo na tayo ay magtulungan sa aspetong pinansiyal o materyal o mga kaalaman upang mas mapalago pa natin ang ating bayan. [I am encouraging and asking for help from our constituents from different parts of the world to help us in the aspects of financial, material, or knowledge in further developing our town],”Mayor Monte said.

“Nais ko pa rin pong hingiin sa inyo na mag invest kayo sa negosyo upang mapalago ang ekonomiya at makapagbigay tayo ng trabaho at serbisyo sa ating mga kababayan [I am asking you to invest in putting up businesses here and create employment opportunities and services to our people],” he added.
Mayor Monte is eyeing to strengthen the livestock production of the municipality, noting that Lazi is now one of the suppliers of beef in Cebu.

“Ako ay nagpupursige sa pagplano ng iba pang maaring mapagkakakitaan ng aking mga kababayan. At ang plano ko ay ang beef, pork, chicken meat and egg production dahil ito’y patok sa pangkomersyo at kitang-kita ang paglago ng ekonomiya at turismo nito [I am pursuing plans to add more income generating opportunities for our people. I am planning to boost the production of beef, pork, chicken meat, and eggs because it is obvious that this can actually help our economy and probably soon our tourism sector],”he said.

The town of Lazi is also a recipient of various local road projects undertaken by the Department of Works and Highways.

Mayor Monte was thankful to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and Senator Christopher “Bong” Go for responding to the request of the town to be given funding for the construction of a steel bridge in Barangay Kinamangadan. The said barangay is among the attraction sites in the municipality because of its multi-tiered waterfalls.

He also reminded residents there to look after infrastructures that were granted to them by the national government.

“Bilang Mayor ng bayan, proud ako na magkaroon ng partnership sa ating mga kababayan. Para sa lokal kong mga kababayn ang hiling ko po na mahalin ninyo ang mga infrastructure at gusali na naitayo na [As the mayor of this town, I am proud that there’s a partnership thriving among the people here. To our local residents, I hope that you will take care of the infrastructures and buildings that we have here],” he said.

Lazi is also known for its old San Isidro Labrador Church which was nominated as part of the UNESCO World Heritage List under the serial nomination of Baroque Churches of the Philippines in 2014. (PCOO)