• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II yesterday said that Lucille Gelvolea, outgoing head of the Economic Enterprise Development Department (EEDD), served the provincial government for 37 years “with honors”.
Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez has picked Gelvolea as the incoming city administrator, replacing lawyer Pacifico Maghari III who resigned last month.
Diaz said that Gelvolea is opting for an early retirement from the provincial government effective Dec. 16.
In her letter to Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, Gelvolea described her 37 years of serving various stakeholders of the provincial government as the “best milestones” of her life, that have changed her perspectives, honed her knowledge and skills, which also provided her an in-depth understanding of how “rewarding it is to work with different groups, people’s organizations and make an impact on their lives”.
She added that the invitation to work in an equally challenging local government unit “speaks of how we are being viewed as workers in the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental”, adding that she regards it as a pride and honor to be offered the position.
Diaz said that Lacson assures her of assistance in order to succeed in her job as city administrator.
“We want to support Mayor Albee to make sure that his administration succeeds in implementing all his programs and plans for the city”, he added.
Last year, Gelvolea also served as pro-bono consultant for special projects and economics affairs of the city government.
Pending selection of the next EEDD head, Diaz said he will temporarily oversee the operations of the Cyber Center, Food Terminal Market of Occidental Negros, Negros Residences and Mambukal Mountain Resort.
“There will be no gaps with regards to EEDD operations,” he said. | GB
