To all my fellow
Boholanos:
It pleases me to report to
you our administration’s accomplishments for the year 2004 which we have
attained with the unity of the Boholano leaders and our people.This unity
– that produced a 243,000 majority of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
in the last election – has inspired her to sustain Bohol’s socio-economic
development even at this critical juncture of our history.
The Mega Projects
Thus, despite the difficult times in our country, the following mega projects
are either completed, on-going or on stream:
1. The P3.1-billion Leyte-Bohol Interconnection Project (LBIP) Phases I
and II are now completed. The LBIP is now providing Bohol with 100 megawatts
of geothermal energy from the Tongonan Geothermal Power Plant in Leyte via
submarine cables to Bohol. This would make the province energy sufficient
for the next 10 years.
2. The P1.58-billion Bohol Circumferential Road Improvement Project (BCRIP)
Phase II is now on-going. BCRIP II covers 136 kilometers of portland cement
concrete pavement (PCCP) and about 20 kilometers of concrete asphalt. It
traverses the highways from Calape to Valencia via Tagbilaran City (Package
I) under contract by Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Co., Ltd.,
and from Candijay to Valencia (Package II) undertaken by C.M. Pancho Construction
Co. and China State Construction Co., Ltd.
3. The P2.384-billion Bohol Irrigation Project (BHIP) Stage II can irrigate
5,300 hectares more of rice land in San Miguel, Trinidad and Ubay. The project
is on-going, under contract also by Hanjin.
4. On stream is the proposed P4.2-billion Panglao Island Airport Development
Project. This is a domestic airport-but of international standard – as recently
approved by President Arroyo and her Cabinet under the Medium Term Investment
Philippine Development Program (2004-2010).
Poverty Reduction: A Flagship Project
In 2001, Bohol was No. 7 at the bottom
of the 20 poorest provinces in the country. Today, December 31, the province
has moved up the ladder by nine rungs, and is now in the 16th
position, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
In determining the ranks of the provinces, UNDP has used as benchmarks health
and life expectancy, education and income of the people.
The poverty reduction program has
been felt through our Bohol Poverty Reduction Management Office (BPRMO)
programs and projects, the Bohol Employment and Placement Office (BEPO),
the medicine para sa masa, indigent assistance program, the nutrition
program, the campaign against illegal fishing, the Let’s Help Bohol Project,
the Bohol Environment Management Office (BEMO) programs and projects, the
CPG scholarship program, high school education through the Special Education
Fund (SEF), summer and Christmas jobs for in-school and out-of –school youths,
the effective operations of our provincial government-run hospitals and
other health care programs in tandem with donor institutions and organizations,
and the Provincial Peace and Order Council’s Peace and Development Program.
The other line agencies of the Provincial
Government, such as Agriculture, Provincial Engineer’s Office, Veterinarian’s
Office, Provincial Planning and Development Office, General Services Office
(GSO), Assessor’s Office (PAO), Provincial Treasurer’s Office, Bohol Tourism
Office, Provincial Budget Office (PBO), Provincial Accountant’s Office and
others have also contributed programs towards poverty reduction under our
convergence or counter-parting strategy.
The Provincial School Board has provided
some 200 public secondary school teachers with adequate wages and benefits
in accordance with law as well as advanced the educational and cultural
thrusts of the students. It has also undertaken to rehabilitate the historic
Gabaldon school buildings with an initial outlay of P2.5 million.
Maximizing the effectiveness of our convergence strategy in the fight against
poverty, we signed with Social Secretary Dinky Soliman the Memorandum of
Agreement on the Kalahi-CIDSS funded by World Bank for the inclusion of
12 towns with high incidence of deprivation. Each barangay in the 12 towns
covered is allocated P300,000 worth of poverty reductions interventions
made available in three years and on staggered basis.
The other sources of funding for
our poverty reduction program are the Belgian Integrated Agrarian Reform
Support Program (BIARSP) III that covers 13 towns, the Australian Agency
for International Development – Philippine –Australian Technical Support
for Agrarian and Rural Development (PATSARRD), Fisheries Improved for Sustained
Harvest (FISH), the World Bank Agrarian Reform Community Development Program
Phase III embracing Tubigon and other towns, the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID) funded for Cebu-Leyte-Bohol-Southern Leyte
(CELEBOSOLE) Growth Quadrangle with nine coastal towns of Bohol abutting
the Danajon Double Barrier Reef, Culion Foundation and World Vision, among
others.
It is our vision and mission to move
out Bohol from the list of the 20 poorest provinces in the next three to
five years given the present state of the country’s economy.
Meantime, the Provincial Government’s
advocacies on health services, and clean and green program have won for
Bohol this year the Consistent Regional Outstanding Winner in Nutrition
Award and the Gawad sa Pangulo sa Kapaligiran Finalist title. And
in fact it is vying for both the top national awards.
Two Economic Drivers
Consistent with our thrust of a sustainable
economic development of Bohol, the Aumentado-Herrera Administration has
continued agro-industrial development and tourism as its main economic drivers.
Today, Bohol remains as the No. 1 agricultural producer in Central Visayas,
especially with its massive rice and corn hybridization program, fishery
and livestock development, and rootcrops, mango, coconut and oil palm plantations
all over the province. According to Regional Director Eduardo Lecciones,
Jr., Bohol produces 66% of rice, 54% of fish and other marine products,
44% of livestock and 72% of rootcrops in Central Visayas. It tops also in
the production of coconut and mangoes, and now, is the only province in
Luzon and the Visayas engaged in oil palm plantation.
The provincial administration has
tapped cooperatives, people’s organizations, farmers and fisher-folk associations,
the business sector and funding institutions to support Bohol’s agro-industrial
development. The most outstanding cooperative, the Bohol Farmers Multipurpose
Cooperative (BOFAMCO), has produced hybrid rice seeds under the Provincial
Government’s A x B and A x R program, for the rice hybridization project
and even for export to Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Leyte and Southern
Leyte.
For 2004, the Provincial Government has loaned the
amount of P1.5 million to BOFAMCO for its hybrid rice seed production. This
loan has been repaid by BOFAMCO.
On the other hand, because of its
varied attractions and culture, Bohol also remains as the No. 1 tourism
destination in the country. To sustain and maintain this position, we are
developing “new interests” to complement the “usual” sights –Chocolate Hills,
Blood Compact Shrine, white sandy beaches, the Loboc River Cruise, tarsier
conservation, Bcalayon and other churches.
The new interests include ecological
and cultural tours to the Cambuhat River and village in Buenavista, the
biggest man-made mangrove plantation in Banacon Island in Getafe, Panadtaran
in Candijay, and Basdio in Guindulman, and whale– and dolphin-watching in
Pamilacan Island off Baclayon that won for us another Galing Pook
Award for excellence and innovation in governance this year. Additionally,
Banacon and Inabanga are the Philippines’ nominees to the Ramsar International
Wetlands Conservation Awards, LGU and People’s Organization categories,
respectively.
Likewise, the Department of Tourism
(DOT) has declared this year the Ubay Agri-Park and Wild Duck Sanctuary
as the lone agricultural park in the Visayas and Mindanao, qualifying the
UAP to more investments. It is a DOT- accredited eco-agri-tourism destination
today.
Infrastructure Development
Apart from the mega projects, the Provincial Government under my watch has
not been remissed in looking after the convenience of the Boholanos and
visitors. This year alone saw the completion – inauguration – of some of
the 20 bridges under the President’s Bridge Program costing P188.21 million.
Also with national counterpart are the P258-million concreting and asphalting
of vital provincial roads.
The counter-parting strategy
forms part of the “bibingka principle” whereby the LGU does not depend
on national funding alone, but shells out local funds, too, for a project
to take off and move. Sometimes, the local counterpart is bigger than the
national counterpart, like the Gawad Kalinga Housing Project wherein
so far, the province allocated P1.5 million to President Arroyo’s P1 million.
For its infrastructure projects,
the Provincial Government this year acquired a bulldozer and other
heavy equipment worth P53 million. The
projects include the rehabilitation of the Bilar-Sevilla-Sikatuna Road and
the Guindulman–Pilar Road with an aggregate length of 42 kilometers, costing
P8.8 million, which the Engineer Support Batallion implemented.
But the old projects need repair,
rehabilitation or enhancement, too. The GSO has completed two standard market
buildings in Tubigon, the Capitol annex building, and a two-classroom school
building in Catigbian; rehabilitated the PTO, the Governor’s Office, old
COA and budget offices for conversion into the new PAO and the Human Resource
Management Office, respectively, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan
session hall, pre-conference room
 and
offices, the Governor’s Mansion to house a conference room and offices;
renovated the Mansion’s garage into a product display center; repaired and
renovated the Cong. Natalio Castillo Memorial Hospital building; reconstructed
the perimeter fence of the CPG Sports Complex and improved the water supply
of the Bohol Detention and Rehabilitation Center (BDRC).
Bohol is an island. The link to other
provinces would therefore be the ports. This administration urged and succeeded
to work on the Philippine Ports Authority through then PPA General
Manager Alfonso Cusi, to r ehabilitate
and expand the Tagbilaran City Tourism Port and the roll on-off ports of
Jagna, Tubigon and Ubay that are part of President Gloria macapagal-Arroyo’s
Strong Republic Highway, all costing about P650 million. Also to allow passage
of bigger vessels, the PPA has approved our request for dredging of the
approaches to the Tagbilaran, Tubigon and Ubay ports.
Finally, we have included in the
DPWH and Regional Development Council Medium Term/Regional Development Investment
Program the improvement of the following strategic roads for implementation:
The port to port highway of Tubigon to Jagna via Sierra Bullones, the Loay
Interior Road to Trinidad Tourism Highway, the Alicia-Pilar-Sierra
Bullones-Carmen to Clarin Agro-Tourism Highway, the Tagbilaran-Sikatuna-Loboc
and Sikatuna to Bilar via Sevilla road network, the Antequera-San Isidro-Catigbian-Sagbayan-danao-Getafe
and Mahayag (San Miguel) road network.
Foremost of all is the preparation of the feasibility study on pro bono
basis by Pacific Consultants International for the BCRIP III which covers
the Ubay-Mabini-Candijay-Cogtong-anda-Guindulman roads, the Baclayon Bypass,
the Tagbilaran Bypass, the Panglao Island Circumferential Road and Center
Road Improvement. The feasibility study is expected to be completed by the
first quarter of 2005, as requested by this representation.
Peace and Development
The Provincial Peace and Order Council,
the 302nd Infantry Brigade and the different units under it,
and the Bohol Police Provincial Office registered major accomplishments
in the PPOC Peace and Development Program.
On top of internal security operations
(ISO), the military conducted Special Operations Team (SOT) activities that
identified and implemented 33 small impact projects like installation of
jetmatic pumps, laying out of pipes, construction or renovation of barangay
halls or day care centers, construction of perimeter fences, comfort rooms,
basketball goals and the like. The SOT also recruited civilian volunteers
and organized them, established barangay information networks that led to
the surrender of 219 communist insurgents and three of their high-and 20
low-powered firearms, as well as 88 other loose firearms surrendered by
civilians. From a high on 283 in 2001, the armed insurgents now number about
64.
Under its civil-military operations (CMO), the brigade joined the
PPOC in 20 civic actions or CIVACs with 12,422 beneficiaries; conducted
195 barangay dialogs, hosted a radio program over DYTR, conducted film showings,
facilitated and monitored Kalahi projects in 15 conflict areas as well as
Kalahi-CIDSS Rural projects in 813 barangays.
On the other hand, the Engineer Support
Battalion of the Army’s 53rd Engineer Brigade opened the Dagohoy
to Carahan farm to market road (FMR) for only P300,000; rehabilitated the
Sikatuna-Sevilla-Bilar road, Bilar section at P1.2 million; improved the
Cangawa-Cantuba FMR at P185,000 and rehabilitated the Cangawa-Cantuba-Baluarte-Lubang
road at P370,000all funded by the Provincial Government with LGU counterpart.
Meanwhile, the Bohol police report
a downward crime trend although the average index monthly crime rate registered
a very minimal increase. Index crime or crimes against persons, property
and chastity totaled 559 but 421 were solved, hence, an increased crime
solution efficiency rating compared to last year’s figures.
The police support the military’s
ISO, and figured in the Lila encounter that resulted to the capture of two
suspected communist insurgents, one M-16 Armalite rifle and a .38 caliber
revolver. With the Army troopers that encountered the NPAs in Sohoton, Calape,
the police helped recovered a caliber .45 pistol and a fragmentation grenade
even as two NPAs surrendered to the police.
On the PNP flagship programs, the
police apprehended 100 persons and filed 69 cases for illegal drugs, arrested
103 gamblers and filed 33 cases; served 401 out of 433 warrants of arrests,
arrested 50 persons for possession of loose firearms resulting to 59 firearms
confiscated, seven surrendered and 11 recovered.
They apprehended 430 persons for
illegal fishing, 15 persons for violating Presidential Decree 105 or the
Forestry Law, five persons for carnapping, and one for cattle rustling.
In the process, nine motorcycles and two large cattle were recovered.
Under police-community relations,
they participated in CIVACs, conducted Information, Education and Communication
(IEC) campaigns on crime prevention, and anti drug abuse, among others and
established 100% the children’s and women’s desk all over the province.
Largely with the help of the provincial
government, the police installed computers in all police stations for the
Provincial-Municipal Police Information and Communication System. With allocations
of P585,000 and P150,000 from the province, the brigade and the police helped
renovate the Area Coordination Center, and constructed the crime laboratory,
respectively, both inside Camp Dagohoy.
In the course of doing their duty,
policemen sometimes get charged, thus the Legal Assistance for Effective
Law Enforcement Program (LAELEP) was born. This year, the province allocated
a total of P450,000 for the program. The police and the Integrated Bar of
the Philippines Bohol chapter raised amounts and donated legal services.
The program helps defray litigation expenses, posting of bail bond and for
the continuing legal education of the policemen.
For its outstanding performance,
the Bohol PPOC was awarded the best Provincial peace and Order Council (Provincial
Category) award and the 2004 Lakbay Kontra Droga Award by the Department
of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
In Bohol’s march towards progress,
the Provincial Government has combined effectively the strategies for peace
and development.
Development Administration
It is axiomatic that in all organizations
human resource or manpower are our best assets. Thus we have endeavored
to develop the Provincial Government’s human resources, through our human
values formation program undertaken by Fr. James Darunday, Capitol chaplain,
and the HRMDO.
We also put in place a Financial
Management Information System (FMIS) manned by personnel of the Provincial
Accountant’s Office and soon to be networked with the Local Finance Committee
offices and the Governor’s Office for a more transparent financial forecasting
and processing.
Similarly, we launched a more efficient
collection of taxes due the government by securing the services of a dynamic,
young provincial treasurer in the person of Diocesito Butawan, whose efforts
paid off with a 97% collection efficiency of our realty taxes from our quarry
fees and environmental taxes, which contributed so much in strengthening
our yearend financial position.
This more efficient revenue generation,
coupled with our effective austerity and cost-saving measures resulted to
an estimated surplus of about P70 million for the year 2004, which provided
the Provincial Government the necessary wherewithals to grant a 5,000 CNA
bonus and 10,000 additional benefits for each qualified personnel. The surplus
also provided the Provincial Government extra funds for its district hospitals,
President’s Bridge Program, and the BDRC detainees’ additional food requirement,
all amount to about P27 million.
We also launched this year the computerization
and tax mapping program to improve our real property tax collection efficiency,
with a 50-50 sharing of the funding therefor, between the Provincial Government
and the municipal governments of Bohol. The computerization project is greatly
enhanced by a donation of 100 units of accordingly slightly used computers
by Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Co., Ltd. The Hanjin computers
however, need a change of software since they use the Korean language instead
of the universal English language. Thereafter, the computers will be deployed
–on each for the smaller towns and two for the bigger towns.
The remainder will be deployed to
public high schools where no computers have been installed for the use of
students.
For more transparency, we have implemented
the new bidding procedure in Republic Act 9184 otherwise known as the Procurement
Reform Act. This way, we have reduced considerably the degree of corruption,
if not eliminate them altogether in the bidding process. But we are still
in search for an electronic billboard as an effective and efficient tool
for a more transparent and corrupt-free bidding of government projects and
supplies.
Conclusion
In 2004, the Provincial Government’s
Internal Revenue Allotment was reduced by over P39 million due to the non
passage of the General Appropriations Act which reverted our IRA to the
2003 level.
Notwithstanding this reversal, we
still succeeded to improve our fiscal position and implement vital projects
as hereinabove mentioned. These we achieved through the unity and cooperation
of all Bohol leaders – our congressmen, the SP and the LGUs concerned. Indeed,
together we can realize Bohol’s multi-billion projects despite the difficult
times.
It is on this note that the Aumentado
– Herrera administration is optimistic to have a more prosperous 2005.
Mabuhay, and Godspeed to all of us!
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