A Digital Leap for Southern Leyte: Mayor-elect Ymard Tocmo Pledges Support for SouthLeyte.com
HINUNANGAN, SOUTHERN LEYTE: On this year’s Independence Day, a celebration of freedom also became a celebration of innovation. The Southern Leyte team behind SouthLeyte.com — composed of Jim Ong-oy, Dave del Rosario, and founder Emman Jostol, met with incoming Mayor Ymard Tocmo to present the powerful capabilities of the platform and how it serves the province’s people and economy.
SouthLeyte.com is more than just an app and a website. It is a comprehensive local directory and digital ecosystem designed to centralize everything Southern Leyte has to offer. From job listings, lodging houses, restaurants, beaches, and tourism spots, to street vendors and skilled individuals offering services, the platform gives every local business and community member a digital presence, whether they are a formal establishment or an informal seller by the roadside.
By mapping listings across municipalities, users can search by municipality, category, or even business type. This helps tourists easily plan their travels while helping locals discover nearby services or shops they didn’t know existed. Street vendors, solo entrepreneurs, and micro-enterprises, often left out of the digital space, are given a chance to be seen, supported, and accessed through both the website and the companion mobile app.
For the local economy, this opens the doors to wider visibility and new revenue streams, especially in the tourism and hospitality sector. Tourists exploring Southern Leyte can now find what to eat, where to stay, what to visit, and even who to contact for special experiences, all in one place. For businesses, being part of the directory means they get discovered and chosen not just by foot traffic, but by anyone browsing the platform, from nearby barangays or even abroad.
The team gave Mayor Tocmo a firsthand walkthrough of how the platform empowers even the smallest street vendor, promotes homegrown businesses, and strengthens local tourism and job creation.
Mayor Tocmo, who is also passionate about innovation, economic growth, and employment opportunities for his constituents, was fascinated by the vision, calling the innovation “a meaningful tool that bridges the gap between people, technology, and opportunity.” He expressed admiration for the dedication shown by the team to build a system that uplifts the Southern Leyteño economy from the grassroots level.
“The platform is not just a directory. It’s a living, breathing hub that boosts local visibility, helps generate income, and connects our communities,” the team explained during the presentation.
Mayor Tocmo responded with a full pledge of support, declaring that he is ready to back SouthLeyte.com and any other technological innovations that the team can introduce in service of the people.
The meeting took place in the Sangguniang Bayan Hall, marking what the team described as “a meaningful Independence Day” not only for honoring the past, but also for advancing a future where digital tools help liberate Southern Leyteños from limitations in exposure, employment, and access.
As the region moves forward, SouthLeyte.com stands ready to grow even further with local government support and the team’s continued mission of Empowering Businesses. Empowering People. Empowering Southern Leyte.
