‘Matin’ Petilla
PALO, Leyte – Mayor Remedios ‘Matin’ Petilla of this town recognizes the importance of supporting the local Catholic Church in celebrating Pamalandong during Holy Week, aiming to bolster faith and attract visitors to their town.
“We do not interfere; we allow the church to take charge of all the activities during the Holy Week celebration, and what we do is to support them,” she said during a press conference on March 27.
Pamalandong, according to Petilla, is part of the town’s year-round program known as the “4Ps of Palo,” which includes ‘Patron’ (town fiesta), ‘Pagbalik’ (Leyte Landing Celebration), and ‘Pasko ha Palo’ (Christmas celebration).
These activities are designed to increase awareness of the town’s events and encourage people to visit Palo.
Even before formalizing these activities through an ordinance, the local government of Palo has been assisting the church in its endeavors, Petilla said.
Civil works such as traffic management, safety and security, health and sanitation, as well as beautification, are among the support provided by the LGU to the church.
“We enhance every station with beautiful flower arrangements and additional street lights in Palo. We ensure security at Ginhangdan Hill, a popular destination for the Stations of the Cross. Traffic officers and police are deployed for traffic management and security,” Petilla explained, emphasizing the efforts to attract more tourists to Palo.
The local government unit also offers a free ‘Visita Iglesia’ program for those interested in visiting several churches in Palo, aiming to increase both tourism and faith among visitors.
Overall, Petilla emphasized the LGU’s readiness to support the church’s activities, believing that this collaboration will also benefit the local economy as more people visit their town.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
