by ERNESTO T. SOLIDUM
Picture above shows (l to r) Kalibo Mayoralty candidate Efren ‘EQ’ Fernandez - Handum It Kalibo, Vice Mayoralty candidate Noli Sodusta - Handum It Kalibo , and Mayoralty candidate Mark V. Quimpo - Tibyog Aklan.
Team Tibyog, Kalibo Chapter members were the guests to the weekly Kapehan on February 20, 2010 at Smokehauz Resto & Bar. The topic was "Kalibo Governance" headed by the tandem of Hon. Mark V. Quimpo for Mayor and Hon. Gregorio R. Malapad for Vice Mayor. They were backed up by SB candidates who are Ronald L. Marte, Edgar I. Aranas, Ariel O. Fernandez, Ronce M. Reyes, Mark C. Sy, Randy A. Rebaldo, George L. Quimpo, and Soviet Russia A. Dela Cruz.
Earlier, the "Pagbag-o" party headed by Ret. Gen. EQ Fernandez presented a seven minute video presentation about EQ’s checkered life and passionate love for Kalibo. The presentation over, EQ left to give way for Team Tibyog to present its version of governance.
Atty. Ronquillo C. Tolentino noted that as of that date, it was 79 days before the May 10 elections. That made it very significant that the electorate be given widest opportunity possible to know their candidates and their political platform. An empowered person is always educated, peaceful, and prosperous therefore to be vigorously pursued by all, said the former Vice Governor.
Team Tibyog’s vision is for a progressive, peaceful, and self reliant community inhabited by empowered citizenry with secured economic life. Power point presentation by Mayoralty candidate Mark V. Quimpo listed 10 priority agenda that are needed for Kalibo’s modernization. They are education, productivity for food security, health, environment, good and efficient governance, economic development, tourism, infrastructure, youth and sectoral welfare, and law and order.
The highest priority of Tibyog is education. This could be implemented by granting scholarships to deserving students in partnership with Gov. Carlito S. Marquez and Cong. Joeben T. Miraflores. Technical skills training to out of school youth shall be extended with the assistance of TESDA.
Food security and (poverty alleviation) shall be addressed through a program known as Food Always in the Home (FAITH). This involves planting of high value commercial crops, livestock, aquaculture, and mariculture. Liberal credit will be extended through financial institutions.
Health concerns will be addressed by strengthening municipal health services and facilities. Universal Philhealth coverage will be extended to depressed barangays also in partnership with Gov. Marquez and Cong. Miraflores’ health initiative.
On environment, Team Tibyog will implement an integrated environmental education and awareness program to target zero waste disposal. Plan is to relocate present dumping site where Material Recovery Facility (MRF) will be established. Priority shall be on conservation of coastal and inland resources through enforcement of fishery laws and establishment of more mangrove forests.
Economic development thrust is to encourage and support the formation of cooperatives and development of small and medium enterprises. It will adopt appropriate manpower development program for labor export market and train work force for domestic demand.
Tourism development shall be enhanced with modern facilities of Kalibo International airport as gateway to Boracay. It will support development of natural and man made tourist attractions in-cluding proposed Panay Railway connecting all four provinces.
Infra development covers the construction of Laguinbanua East/Mobo/Estancia/Tigayon bridge, improvement of Municipal Slaughterhouse, establishment of Wet Market with transport terminal to serve Estancia/Tigayon/Linabuan Norte growth corridor, upgrading of Kalibo Shopping Center into a four storey commercial center and circumferential road network linking riverine barangays to coastal roads.
Youth and Sectoral welfare include technical skills training mentioned earlier in education, gender sensitive service and institutionalized support for senior citizens.
On law and order, it is strict implementation of laws and ordinances by professionalized law enforcement agency.
Hon. Greg. Malapad appealed to voters and the media to support candidates with integrity and performance. The veteran alderman said that there is no need of choosing from other parties since Tibyog has the most credible and doable program of government.
On food security, data provided by Hon. Soviet Russia A. Dela Cruz stated that Kalibo has 781 hectares of irrigated rice land while 1,200 hectares are rainfed. Based on self-sufficiency analysis of 110 kilograms rice per capita consumption per year and a population of 70,000, surplus is equivalent to 2,246 kilograms or 45 cavans rice. Definitely, this is good as zero or crippling shortage three years from now if this is not properly addressed.
The Bureau of Agriculture Statistics data show that 200 hectares of prime agricultural land mostly irrigated areas in Aklan are converted by landowners into residential, commercial or industrial purposes yearly. Imple-menting watchdog is Department of Agrarian Reform but it is helpless in the face of rapid urbanization and expansion. Data of National Irrigation Administration reveal that more than P80,000 is expended per hectare for putting up irrigation infrastructure. Undoubtedly, the big loss to Kalibo’s food security is the 1.2 kilometer runway of Kalibo International Airport in Pook.
Ironically so far, nobody has yet been jailed for flagrant violation of the law. A paralyzing trend could be Sen. Manuel Villar’s real estate development company in Pavia, Iloilo where 12 hectares of irrigated rice land were converted into a subdivision.
Tibyog Aklan gives importance to education and health which are commendable. However, tangible revenue comes only from the one percent Special Education Fund of real estate tax which is intended for salaries/allowance of Day Care teachers, school supplies, and others. Obviously, the strategy to realize the above program hinges on subsidies of provincial Chief Executives. This can be an inherent sign of weakness and vulnerability which is counter productive.
The Kalibo Ati-Atihan Management Board could not have been under fire if financial transactions are transparent and above board. The disclosure of official financial statements based on standard operating procedures is not more than two months after Ati-Atihan event. Certainly if the report is released a year later, it has lost its intrinsic value.
Expectedly, adminis-tration candidates are very defensive to maintain its present status quo rather than the suggestion to place it under management of a private contractor. The reason behind the success of Dinagyang festival in Iloilo City is traced to innovative and creative ideas that attracted phenomenal growth of foreign and domestic tourists each year. Another example is Cebu’s Sinulog that annually attracts six million devotees and guests. Relevant question: What has happened to the Mother of Festivals that is the Kalibo Ati-Atihan?
Tibyog Aklan under Hon. Mark V. Quimpo has youthful idealism and pragmatism borne out by years of grueling legislative debate and committee hearing. Political maturity is an asset reserved for some people and he got lots of it. /MP
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