Cohesion Works Between Aklan SP and the Executive

by Odon S. Bandiola

Despite belonging to opposing political parties every local electoral exercise, Aklan Governor Carlito S. Marquez and Vice Governor Gabrielle V. Calizo have shown their capacity to bury the political hatchet and buckle down to serious work and gover-nance for the benefit of the Aklanons, the governor in the execution of plans, programs, and policies of provincial governance and the vice governor in delivering the necessary support legislations.

Marquez belongs to the dominant local political party, Tibyog Akean, which counts many of the incumbent municipal mayors, councilors and a great majority of the members of the Sang-guniang Panlalawigan.

Calizo, a former congresswoman and an advocate of a serious Local Executive – Legislative Agenda, belongs to the opposing local political party, Kusog it Akean.

But it seems that there is no political division in the working relationship of the executive department under Marquez and the legislative under Calizo.

This is evident in the passage within the time frame of appropriation ordinances approving the annual General Fund and Economic Enterprise Development budgets of the provincial government, the more than seven hundred million-peso 2008 budgets and the more than eight hundred million-peso 2009 budgets. While the budgets were approved within the period required by law, consideration of the same did not escape the thorough scrutiny of the provincial legislative body. (Majority of the SP members had approved an Ordinance Transferring the amount of P20.5 million from the SP office to the office of the Provincial Governor.)

While the requests of the Governor for an authority to enter into Memorandum of Agree-ments with various entities for the implementation of several development projects to include those requests for authority to contract loans with banking institutions also pass the needle-eyes of the august chamber, the same had been granted by this august body within a reasonable time after review.

Notable among the authorities granted by this current Sangguniang Panla-lawigan under Calizo is an omnibus resolution granting authority to the Provincial Governor to avail of loans from the Land Bank of the Philippines to a maximum amount of P100 million to finance projects deemed necessary by the chief executive for implemen-tation. This also includes the authority to contract a loan to a tune of about P35 million to finance the construction of the School of Nursing Building at the Dr. Rafael S. Tumbokon Memorial Hospital compound, another P35 million for the construction of the Calangcang Sports Complex at Makato, Aklan and another authority for the governor to float bonds for the expansion of the facilities of the jetty port in Caticlan, to include the putting up of wellness-clinic and hotel.

For irreconcilable issues needing action by the SP as proposed by the governor, the Legislative – Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) is always immediately convened as a reconciliation forum for the said controversial issues. /MP