ISABEL, Leyte —Mayor Saturnino Medina, Jr.(Ret.) has announced that there will be no lay-offs in the local government in spite of the P60 million fire damage to Philippine Associated Smelter and Refining Plant (PASAR) last January 2, 2012.

PASAR remits substantial amount of taxes annually to the municipality. Because of the fire, it is believed that PASAR may seek tax holiday until after the smelting plant restores normal operations that may take months if not a year of complete restoration.

Some 1,200 PASAR contractual and casual employees were temporarily dismissed on account of the tragedy. Regular employees, however, remain in the plant doing assigned jobs relative to its restoration work.

Mayor Medina has initiated austerity measures in running the affairs of the local government. Official travels will be limited and shall only be granted to employees where a very strong need arises. Even the use of coupon bond papers will be restricted citing one example that no coupon bond will find its way to the waste basket with an unused back portion.

Emergency employees may come to office on a shift basis by reducing their working days to 3 and via round robin.

The town mayor reveals in confidence that all on-going projects and even those still on the line will be implemented in spite of the significant decrease of taxes caused by the PASAR tragedy. (Alvin Gz. Arpon)