Manila: The Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS) intends to procure buses to support its sports and tourism development.

According to Philippines News Agency, Mayor Lemuel Reyes announced plans to buy buses for the city and the Department of Education (DepEd)-IGACOS. The initiative aims to promote local resorts by displaying stickers on the buses, allowing people to get a glimpse of these attractions as the buses travel to various places. Reyes expressed the desire to take pride in the local resorts and showcase them through this innovative approach.

Reyes also noted the intention to replicate the local government units' bus programs, which are used for transporting athletes to sports and journalism competitions. Highlighting the utility of such a program, Reyes referred to instances like attending the Batang Pinoy, where other local government units have buses for their athletes. By owning a bus, the city could save on car rental expenses and avoid borrowing vehicles.

The buses, with a seating capacity of 51 to 54 passengers, are expected to be very useful for the city. In addition to the buses, the local government plans to purchase heavy equipment to be stationed in the city's three districts. This equipment aims to facilitate easy access for barangays to use for their projects.

Mayor Reyes urged village chairpersons in each barangay to allocate at least 20 percent of their development fund for road projects, emphasizing the importance of infrastructure development.