The province of Aklan aims to be the country’s loom-weaving capital, with the exquisite and world-class Piña Cloth, the "Queen" of Philippine fabrics, as its star product.
This bid of Aklan was further strengthened, according to DTI-Aklan’s Philomena Valencia, Senior Trade and Industry Development Specialist, with the approval recently by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) of the Quality Seal for loom-woven products.
According to Valencia, the quality seal is the first trademark registered by IPO for woven products, and this is the strength considered by DTI and Aklan Piña manufacturers and traders in conquering the European market which in turn will further generate and enliven local and national economy.
Most of Aklan’s Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are engaged in the production and export of piña and other loom-woven products like abaca and raffia, generating jobs and income for Aklanons as piña planters, scrapers, knotters, weavers and many others.
Kalibo, Aklan’s capital town, also identifies the piña cloth as its prime product, being the region’s One Town, One Product (OTOP) model, according to Valencia.
OTOP is a priority program to promote entrepreneurship and create jobs.
Valencia disclosed the latest development on the quality seal of Aklan’s loom-woven product over the weekly "Sugilanon Sa Kamaeayran" radio program initiated by the provincial government in Kalibo, Aklan as a venue for provincial and national government offices to air their current services and programs and clarify some issues. She stressed that DTI’s product development activities always go hand in hand with Aklan’s tourism industry, a major revenue-generating source of the province.
Aklan Voters are Now 244,429
In the political scene, the province of Aklan has a total of 244,429 registered voters as of July 2006. This figure however is expected to increase with the on-going and continuous registration of voters until December 31, 2006.
Based on the summary of consolidated project of precincts released by COMELEC-Aklan office, Kalibo, the capital town of Aklan has the highest number of voters with 33,683, followed by Ibajay, 20,059 voters; and New Washington, 19,274. Other vote-rich towns are Banga, 18,079 and Batan, with 15,385.
Lezo, a municipality in the western side of the province remains as the town with the least number of voters, with 6,481.
Currently, Aklan has a total of 1,814 precincts established with 336 polling places.
Ms. Lorena Tumbagahan, Acting Election Registrar of Kalibo and concurrently OIC of the province of Aklan has already started distributing to the Aklan media copies of Resolution No. 7707 containing the Calendar of Activities and the prohibited acts in connection with the May 2007 synchronized national and local elections.
This is in preparation for the political exercise in 2007 following its mandate and schedule of activities, notwithstanding, Malacañang’s resolve to pursue Charter Change for the time being despite the recent setback at the Supreme Court of the Philippines.
Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said they "respect the Supreme Court decision on the people’s initiative, however, it will not stop us from our advocacy that we need fundamental reform in order to remove the remaining stumbling block to our competitiveness."
Bunye also said Malacañang believed that Charter Change was "the most important reform we have to make."
Gabriel Claudio, PGMA’s adviser on political affairs, said the high court’s decision "formally activates the constituent assembly (Con-ass) mode of changing the Constitution."
Claudio also said the Palace intends to tell its allies that the administration was "prepared for any electoral scenario in 2007." (This is a proof that Malacañang is stubborn.) /MPmailto:madyaas_pen@yahoo.com
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