Chairman Bayani Fernando of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Wednesday said Metro Manila mayors who will join him in a trip to Canada will shoulder travel expenses out of their own pockets.
“Personal na lakad ito kasi baka hindi payagan na gumastos ang gobyerno diyan e (We would be shouldering our own expenses because the government might not give us funds),” he told DZMM.
The MMDA chief said the Vancouver trip was planned so mayors could observe and learn how the city administration implements programs such as waste disposal and traffic management.
He said at present, 14 of Metro Manila 17 city and municipal mayors have signed up for the trip abroad. He did not disclose names of the officials in the list.
Fernando said their temporary date of departure has been set for January 14.
He also said that the MMDA has been coordinating with the Department of Interior and Local Government to issue clearances for the trip.
At the same time, Fernando clarified that the reported side trip to Las Vegas is not part of the official itinerary for the mayors. Reports said that after Vancouver, Fernando and the Metro Manila mayors will fly to Las Vegas to watch the fight of Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao against Mexico’s Erik Morales on January 21.
“Hindi kami dadaan ng Las Vegas. Hindi doon ang biyahe ng [Philippine Airlines]…may stopover lang sa Las Vegas (We have not included Las Vegas in the official itinerary. We will pass by because the plane will stop over in Las Vegas),” he said.
Fernando said the Las Vegas side trip is purely coincidental. He added that those who would want to watch and cheer for Pacquiao will not be prevented from doing so.
