(3rd of Four Parts)
(Ed’s Note: State of the Province Address of Gov. Marquez delivered on January 25, 2006 at the SP Session Hall, Provincial Capitol, Kalibo, Aklan.)
(Ed’s Note: State of the Province Address of Gov. Marquez delivered on January 25, 2006 at the SP Session Hall, Provincial Capitol, Kalibo, Aklan.)
Investment, Employment and Income Generation
The report of the Department of Trade and Industry covering the entire period last year only confirms positive indicators in other spheres of development that indeed we continue to enjoy economic growth in this province.
The agency reported that total incremental investments last year amounted to P612 million, or an increase of 64 percent over the 2004 performance. The great bulk of the investments reported were seen in business names registered, original and renewal, which generated the most to a tune of P502 million from the 1328 business name registrants. DTI-reported incremental employment for directly and indirectly impacted activities reached 5,408, or a positive growth of 32 percent over that in 2004.
Our provincial employment and service office (PESO) continues to play its facilitative role in the placement of our labor force in the international market accounting for some 119 who were accommodated in foreign employment lat year, aside from local employment. In addition, our passporting service greatly helped Aklanons, and so do with the satellite office of the National Bureau of Investigation which our provincial legislative body and the provincial leaders sought to have one in Aklan.
In addition, our provincial government has closely linked with the JS International Placement Agency owned and managed by former OIC Gov. Jolie Dodoy R. Pelayo, who has given priority to Aklanon skilled laborers in the foreign employment contracts. This resulted in the initial placement of some 36 Aklanons this January 2006 in the labor force for Carribean countries. This year we hope to send 1,200 Aklanons construction workers for the overseas market expecting an inflow of $18,720,000.
Tourism in Boracay resulted in the direct employment of more than 5000 skilled and unskilled workers, 56 percent of whom are Aklanons, engaged in various services in the island and employed by tourism-related business in this prime tourist destination of the country.
Tourism in Boracay resulted in the direct employment of more than 5000 skilled and unskilled workers, 56 percent of whom are Aklanons, engaged in various services in the island and employed by tourism-related business in this prime tourist destination of the country.
Health, Education and Other Social Services
Despite the impending upgrade of the Dr. Rafael S. Tumbokon Memorial Hospital into a tertiary category with the completion of the new facilities, our administration shall always maintain our health indigency program which calls for a sizeable amount of several millions of pesos from the provincial coffers. Our old facilities will cater to paying patients, while the old medical facilities will cater to the needs of our poor constituents.
As of the end of last year, we are subsidizing part of the premiums required for the coverage of 23,085 families in Aklan in the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation’s indigency program. Our plan is to cover 100 percent of indigents with PhilHealth – this is approximately 30,000 families this year.
We foresee the establishment of our academic enterprise with the initial opening of the Provincial School of Nursing in joint venture with the Aklan State University last year as a step to further boost better delivery of health services. At present, there are 100 students enrolled in the ASU Banga campus for which we appropriated P2 million to put up the nursing laboratory. Another P15 million is appropriated this year to put up the facilities for the school of nursing.
Aside from the problem of allocating adequate funds for basic services for our constituents, our province had to oblige for the hiring of provincial school board teachers. Although the hiring of teachers for our public elementary and high schools is a national government responsibility we had to shoulder it because what is at stake is the education and the future of our youth.
So we now pay the wages of 147 provincial school board teachers which total P8.8 million per school year.
Also, for our youth, we continue to fund the provincial government college scholarship project started by the late Gov. Corazon Legaspi-Cabagnot and also sustained by former Gov. Joeben T. Miraflores. We now have 1,116 scholars whose school fees total P6.7 million per school year.
We foresee the establishment of our academic enterprise with the initial opening of the Provincial School of Nursing in joint venture with the Aklan State University last year as a step to further boost better delivery of health services. At present, there are 100 students enrolled in the ASU Banga campus for which we appropriated P2 million to put up the nursing laboratory. Another P15 million is appropriated this year to put up the facilities for the school of nursing.
Aside from the problem of allocating adequate funds for basic services for our constituents, our province had to oblige for the hiring of provincial school board teachers. Although the hiring of teachers for our public elementary and high schools is a national government responsibility we had to shoulder it because what is at stake is the education and the future of our youth.
So we now pay the wages of 147 provincial school board teachers which total P8.8 million per school year.
Also, for our youth, we continue to fund the provincial government college scholarship project started by the late Gov. Corazon Legaspi-Cabagnot and also sustained by former Gov. Joeben T. Miraflores. We now have 1,116 scholars whose school fees total P6.7 million per school year.
We are going to reopen the doors of the Daeangpan It Mga Kababayenhan Sa Akean to women and children victims of hostility in society this year as a crises intervention center. Our Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office is closely working with the regional office of the DWSD towards this end.
Our provincial planning and development office shall continue to serve as the main facilitator and key office, in close coordination with other national and local government offices, in the planning and implementation of social services programs like the early childhood development project, breaking barriers for children-stimulation therapeutic activity center project, gender and development and other population program.
Our provincial planning and development office shall continue to serve as the main facilitator and key office, in close coordination with other national and local government offices, in the planning and implementation of social services programs like the early childhood development project, breaking barriers for children-stimulation therapeutic activity center project, gender and development and other population program.
Environment And Infrastructure
With the institutionalization of the Aklan Rivers Development Council as a result of a Provincial Ordinance passed by this body and my subsequent issuance of an executive order, we hope to revitalize and sustain efforts in implementing projects and programs to preserve and develop the rivers systems. I am aware that the council through our executive director, the former Congressman Allen S. Quimpo, has evolved action plans and its timetable for implementation. I am waiting for the completion of the master development plan for my submission to regional development council as a supporting document for funding deliberation and subsequent implementation.
There is an urgency in finding alternative sanitary landfill sites for our garbage disposable not only for Boracay but that of the capital town of Kalibo, and New Washington. We hope that DENR can find for us ideal site as a common landfill area for the province.
This year, a significant portion of the P60 million development funds of the province are for our INFRA projects. We appropriated 2.5 million pesos to spruce up our capitol grounds and facilities and another 15 million pesos to replace the old building at the south wing of the provincial capitol grounds. We also set aside 2.5 million pesos as our contribution in the preparation of the feasibility study for the proposed one hundred million port complex in Navitas, Numancia being pursued by the Philippine Ports Authority. (to be continued next issue) /MP
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