“We Will Succeed”*

(Second of a series)

* State of the Province Address of Aklan of Governor Carlito S. Marquez delivered during the 4th Regular Session held in Aklan Sangguniang Panlalawigan, Capitol, Kalibo, Aklan on January 29, 2009.

Just one segment of the continuing and endless effort to develop the province and realize the ultimate dream of a good quality of life for all. What we do each year is a humble contribution to an undertaking which began long before our recognition as a province by itself and which the administrations and generations after us shall themselves take up. We have endeavored to complete what leaders before us have started and, on our own, we have started some projects and programs which may not immediately be completed and whose benefits may not at the moment be felt by our constituency, but which are all part of the constant and endless pursuit to build a province.

Always, we look forward to a better future and dream, plan, and implement projects which take us irrevocably nearer to the good life.

For a small province with limited resources, there will be delays, setback like what we all suffered from typhoon Frank on that black day, June 21, 2008. There will be difficulties: the looming adverse effects of the global financial crisis. But let us all think positive without forgetting that these are realities, no matter how grim, that we have to deal with. While hoping, let us all be doing something, together, fully cooperating to compensate for our deficiencies in resources.

Let me, therefore, thank the honorable body for their 415 resolutions, 68 ordinances including three appropriation ordinances, seven general ordinances, six special ordinances, and two Tax Ordinances after 45 regular sessions, 2 special sessions, and 278 committee and public hearings.

All this hard work to provide us in the executive the necessary legislative infrastructure, underpinning our development programs.

Let me also commend Vice Governor Gabrielle V. Calizo, all the members of the honorable body, and their administrative staff for their consistent endeavor to modernize the ope-rations of the province’s legislative arm.

Sourcing The Funds

Even before the recent global financial crunch, a downturn in the economy has been noted worldwide.

Despite this, our economic enterprises have generally done well, exemplified y our jetty port operations which registered a stunning 87 percent increase in collections, from P41.4 million in 2007, it generated revenues to the tune of P77.3 million in 2008.

Some P58 million from terminal fees constituted the main bulk of the collection, P13 million came from rolling cargo fees, and the rest from other collections.

Our Caticlan Jetty Port and Passenger Terminal now manages three wharves. Congressman Joeben T. Miraflores and the province had successfully worked out with Her Excellency, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, for the Philippine Port Authority’s turn-over to our province the management of the P80 million port which PPA built. An P80 million gift for Aklan’s emergence as an important component of the RORO and tourism route, an additional source of badly needed revenues, a ticket to fasttrack development.

Thank you Mr. Niven Maquirang, Jetty Port Administrator and staff of Caticlan and Cagban Jetty Ports!

For the year 2008, the office through the provincial mining regulatory board processed 16 permit applications that were approved by the provincial governor’s office.

For 2008, the taxes, fines and other fees and charges collected from sand and gravel, small-scale mining and other quarry materials was P4,987.979. Exceeding the estimated revenue by P2,857,979.

Our continuing gratitude too, to Task Force Kalikasan who helped contribute to the smooth implementation of Pro-vincial Ordinance 05-021 and other pertinent environmental laws.

Thanks to Mr. Rex Victor Consemino, Engr. Bernardo Rodriguez, Jr., Engr. Valentin Teodosio and staff!

Our provincial trea-surer’s office reports an excellent performance that can somehow assuage our apprehensions over the perceived economic recession.

This year from real property tax (including current and condonation collections) we posted P136,682,709.15, a whooping 81 percent increase from 2007’s P75,350,000.

Due to typhoon Frank, fees and other charges earned us only P48,589,128 in 2008, 18 percent lower than the P58,933,470 of 2007.

Revenues from busi-ness tax went up from P47,067,480 in 2007 to P55,356,432 in 2008. A satisfactory increase of 18 percent.

Our economic enterprise raked in P89,083,896, a truly unexpected 26 percent rise from P70,484,490 in 2007.

Thanks to Ms. Suzette Pioquid, OIC Provincial Treasurer, Mr. Rey Villaruel of Provincial Treasurer’s Office and again Mr. Rex Victor Consemino of the Economic Enterprise!

Our Provincial Assessor’s office was again adjudged by the Bureau of Local Government Finance, Region VI, and the Regional Association of Treasurer’s and Assessors in Region VI as the Most Outstanding Provincial Assessor’s Office in Region VI.

The Provincial Assessor’s Office also facilitated the wide area network connection for the implementation of Real Property Tax Admi-nistration System (RPTAS) in the three pilot muni-cipalities (Kalibo, New Washington, and Malay).

For various fees from 2,729 approved transac-tions for 2008 (land, building and machinery) the province collected P7,492,597.65.

For its future program, the Provincial Assessor’s Office intend to introduce the Geographic Infor-mation System (GIS) for digital mapping in two pilot municipalities (Malay and Kalibo) for proper auditing of the real properties and improved collections of real property taxes.

Thanks to Mr. Kokoy Soguilon, Provincial Assessor and staff!

Other Growth Indicators

Tax collection is a dependable indicator of growth and despite hard times aggravated by the June 21, 2008 catastrophe, BIR collections registered a 9.45 percent increase from P499,243,933 in 2007 to P546,408,320 in 2008. While collection decreased in eight municipalities, our nine towns showed an increase led by the municipality of Balete which posted a 63.25 percent increase followed by Boracay taxpayers may be a class by themselves as the BIR had separately listed the island with our 17 municipalities.

Thank you Ms. Nelia Demalata, OIC–Revenue Dist Officer , BIR & staff! (continued next issue)/MP