Aklan After 53 Years

by ERNESTO T. SOLIDUM

"Aklan After 53 Years", is the subject discussed during the weekly Kapehan forum on November 7. Invited panelists were Ms. Vicky Ramos Antonino, Atty. Allen S. Quimpo, Atty. Ronquillo C. Tolentino, Ms. India C. Legaspi, and Atty. Sergio R. Rigodon.

The discussion marked the eve of the birthday of the Father of Aklan who turned 98 years if he is alive today. Godofredo Peralta Ramos was a noted jurist statesman, diplomat, and politician who devoted the best years of his life to public service and the pursuit of excellence. He served as governor of Aklan, Congressman of the 3rd District of Capiz, and Aklan, member of the Constitutional Convention and justice of the Court of Appeals.

Atty. Ronquillo C. Tolentino authored the oblation message on the bust monument of Godofredo P. Ramos in front of Provincial Capitol building. It was unveiled on the 25th of April 1996, 40 years after separation of Aklan. A portion reads as follows: "This monument in testimony of and an indelible manifestation of gratitude to the man who authored RA 1414 that gave birth to the province of Aklan and thereby restored Aklan’s rightful place in Philippine history". The project was collectively undertaken by Cong. Allen S. Quimpo and Gov. Florencio T. Miraflores, the provincial government of Aklan and the people of the province.

G.P. Ramos as a Concon delegate proved himself to be the master of promoting a leadership style based on consensus and dedication to truth and justice. The then President Diosdado Macapagal rated him as top ten Constitutionalist.

Tolentino said that G.P. Ramos had considerable expertise on diplomacy that the then Pres. Ferdinand Marcos planned to appoint the favorite son of Aklan to the post of minister of Foreign Affairs. Un-fortunately, failing health and his eventual death on July 17, 1977 prevented its realization.

Dr. Ambrosio R. Villorente cited some highlights of Aklan’s accomplishment 53 years after its birth. It must be recalled that Aklan was classified as third class province with all 17 towns suffering from chronic neglect and mis-administration. It was in this scenario that G.P. Ramos as Congressman worked for the passage of RA 1414 that unleashed highly organized road network, two international airports, and several seaports, provincial hospital, State University, Boracay as world class tourist destination, and Ati-Atihan religious-cultural festival. Passion for education, arts, literature, and history flourished. Economy rebounded with expanded irrigation system, diversified agriculture and revitalized cottage industries.
Ms. Vicky R. Antonino said, it is a distinct honor and privilege to be linked to the treasured legacy of his father, G. P. Ramos. In line with his noble aspiration, the Goding Ramos Memorial Foundation is established in 1998 to focus on economic livelihood, good governance, health, and education (with emphasis on Aklan’s culture and the arts).

The Anita P. Ramos Dialysis Center, operated for 10 years at Provincial Hospital compound to cater to indigent patients who would otherwise suffer from expensive medical treatment. Nothing in our Foundation’s mission shows partiality to any political party, said. Ms. Antonino. Concurrently she is co-Chair of the Aklan Provincial Tourism Council.

Ms. India C. Legaspi revealed that the Foundation’s priority is providing livelihood opportunities to poor families. As head of Aklan’s Small and Medium Industries, she is actively involved in the promotion, adoption, and expansion of cottage industries using natural fibers. Presently, some 10,000 people are engaged in production, processing, and manufacturing of piña, abaca, and raffia into high end products. It is significant that many knotters, extractors, farmers, and weavers have increased and stabilized their family income, Legaspi claimed.

An issue and concern is the dearth of information on the life and works of G. P. Ramos. Older generation may know him of his eloquent speeches and substantive debates on current national issues in the Halls of Congress but younger ones do not know or tend to forget him. It is for this reason that a biography be produced on his checkered life considered unblemished by pride, fame, and power. There is compelling evidence, he neither enriched himself nor took advantage of others while in public office.

It is gratifying that the Aklan History Society under Atty. Ronquillo C. Tolentino and Ms. Vicky R. Antonino as honorary Chairperson of G. P. Ramos Memorial Foundation welcome the idea as the public can look forward to its realization.

Aklan with half a million population may have experienced unprecedented growth for the last five decades. Yet this is only modest given the rich natural resources and technology at hand. There are 17 river systems, only a handful tapped for irrigation. Undoubtedly, full development could be realized if strategic small scale hydroelectric power projects are established to provide renewable energy, irrigation, potable water, flood control, land reclamation, employment generation, and tourism among others.

With above amenities, industrial and commercial establishments may flourish in Aklan for production provides employment to thousands of Aklanons. It will also maximize agricultural productivity and income.

Economic advantage of developing piña, abaca, and raffia industry cannot be overstated but its inherent weakness lie with its manual operation and highly segmented market share. Virtually, all its entrepreneurial set up from crop production, harvesting, processing, and manufacturing are tediously done by hand. This restricts product output, strain financial resources, and limit return on investment.

Compare this with popular fiber crops, abaca, cotton, and silk where full mechanization is employed in all production processes and universally accepted. The problem is that it has not garnered support from local farmers and investors despite strong economic potential of the crops.

It is underscored that Aklan’s economy is largely agricultural where 71 percent of the people are farmers, cultivating less than one hectare average of land. They live below poverty threshold level. Un-doubtedly, there is need to diversify and strengthen other industries in order to increase productivity and purchasing power of the people.

The legacy of G. P. Ramos eloquently speaks of determination and faith in every Aklanon to accomplish the dream of political maturity and economic stability. Surely, there are obstacles and bridges to cross yet by unity and cooperation, we can overcome them. There are more work to do. /MP