Entrepreneurial Farmer

Ambrosio R. Villorente

Is Father Allan For Moral and Spiritual Upliftment?

It is too good for Governor Carlito S. Marquez to have complied with the mandate of Presidential Decree No. 198 by appointing two competent men to the members of the Board of Directors of the Metro Kalibo Water District (MKWD). PD No. 198 provides for the creation of Local Water Utilities Administration. It also mandates for the creation, operation and management of all water districts in the Philippines.

MKWD, one of the water districts organized under PD No. 198, is now servicing the water need of the four municipalities of Aklan which are Kalibo, New Washington, Banga, and Balete. At the start, it was organized as Kalibo Water District (KWD) which provided for the water need limited to the Municipality of Kalibo only. At that time, the authority to appoint the members of the Board of Directors was vested upon the Mayor of Kalibo. This practice was followed until 2007.

However, KWD was later expanded to another three towns of New Washington, Banga, and Balete. KWD was remained MKWD. The volume of business has largely increased with the increasing number of water concessionaires. On the basis of the records as to the number of concessionaires among the towns being served by MKWD, Kalibo used to have 100 percent of the concessionaires. However, the number of Kalibo concessionaires decreased to only 73.4 percent in 2008. The other 26.6 percent came from New Washington, Banga, and Balete.

Under PD No. 198, the authority to appoint the members of the Board of Directors of MKWD is vested upon the provincial governor of the province when the concessionaires of Kalibo is less than 75 percent of the total. Hence, Governor Marquez exercised his function as mandated by PD No. 198.

But Rev. Father Allan Sta. Maria has protested against the appointees of Gov. Marquez. According to Santamaria, he is the right and most fitted person to be appointed to the said position and to represent the business sector.

I found it hard to understand Father Sta. Maria. As a Roman Catholic priest, Father Sta. Maria works for the moral and spiritual upliftment of his people. Moreover, he represented religion, business, and education sectors to the Board of MKWD for several years until his last term expired on Dec. 31, 2008.

It was during Father Sta. Maria’s incumbency as chairman of the MKWD – BOD when the P25 million controversial deal came out. At that time, MKWD requisitioned for several materials like PVC pipes. The materials were purchased and delivered. However, what were received were materials of inferior qualities than what were requisitioned and paid for.

At first, both the BOD and MKWD management denied the information but later confirmed the malodorous deal is true after about three months of discussing it in the tri-media in Aklan. The media and the public were assured MKWD will be refunded of the price difference between what were actually delivered and what were paid. Until this date, the media in Aklan is still waiting for any information of the actual refund.

I found it strange too that until this writing, Kalibo Mayor Raymar A. Rebaldo who last exercised the power to appoint the members of the Board of MKWD has not complained. The power to appoint was exercised by Gov. Marquez when he appointed two members of the BOD last year. This is a confirmation that really the provincial governor now is vested with that power. Perhaps, it is the Mayor of the Ati-Atihan Town of Kalibo who should have complained why he was divested of the power he used to exercise in the MKWD.

I was informed there is a shortage of priests in the Philippines. It will be for his own good, to the best interest of the church, and that of the people if Fr. Sta. Maria will freely concentrate his services to the moral and spiritual well being of the people, particularly the Aklanon.

However, should he finds it fitting to continue his services with MKWD and other businesses, why not? Similar to former priest, now Provincial Governor of Pampanga, Gov. Ed Panlilio.

Congratulations BLASAI

The Boracay Landowners and Stakeholders Association, Inc. (BLASAI), deserves everybody’s sincere congratulations. After a long and tedious battle in the court of justice, BLASAI members now "Thumbs Up for House Bill No. 1109 of Aklan Congressman Florencio T. Miraflores after the Supreme Court of the Philippines decided to declare "Boracay Island as a public domain".

Dr. Orlando Sacay, Atty. Stephen Arsenio, Mila Yap Sumdad, Socorro Ruchanie Gadon, Arch. Lara Arac Salaver, Rufina Villarama and Lorenzo Tanada IV who before the Supreme Court ruling were strongly opposed to House Bill No. 1109 are now highly endorsing approval of the said House Bill into law. The bill was approved in the House of Representatives and it is now in the Senate.

"We understand your feelings but I can’t see a way out of the public domain concept. All lands belongs to the state until classified. We can’t do away with the law," Miraflores stressed.

As drafted, HB No. 1109 is intended to facilitate titling of lands to the present occupants who have invested big amount of money and resources to develop their respective properties. The bill when it becomes a law will facilitate the implementation of regulatory mechanisms on land and reserve uses. The government will also enable to improve its tax collection efforts in Boracay.

Commonwealth Act 141 as amended or the Public Land Law provides that land of the public domain may be classified as alienable and disposable by the President or by Act of Congress. This provision is highlighted by the Supreme Court in its en banc decision "that congress may enact a law to entitle private claimants to acquire titles to their occupied lots".

The said bill is now under Senate consideration which when approved into law will protect the booming tourism industry of Aklan, especially in Boracay. /MP