Entrepreneurial Farmer

Ambrosio R. Villorente

Pakpak Sa Kabantogan

Culasi, Antique celebrated its municipal religious fiesta with two grand activities: 1. Pakpak sa Kabantogan, and 2. Mutya Sang Madyaas.

Pakpak sa Kabantogan is an Amateur Singing Contest which enticed almost all people, especially the young, who are so in love of music and with the propensity to sing. The contest allowed across municipal participation and involved all barangays. The process of elimination took two months, culminated during the town fiesta in March when the champion and runners up selected and awarded.

The Mutya Sang Madyaas is an annual beauty contest that portrays the grandeur of Madyaas Mountain overlooking the Municipality of Culasi. As shown in Kalibo Cable Television, the municipal beauty contest showed the 4Bs of pageant participants: body, brilliance, beauty, and brain.

Contrast

This Mutya Sang Madyaas is in contrast to that in Banga. In Banga, its Mayor invited Amay Visaya, a comedian who transformed the otherwise extollation of the desirable characteristics of Filipino woman into a humorous atmosphere. For about one hour the audience forgot its problems at home while Amay Visaya unfolded his series of comedies.

Indeed what does desirable virtues of the Filipino woman mean when the Filipino is living below the poverty threshold? What does beauty mean when 41 percent of the Aklanons are living in poverty? Comedians can made them laugh, forget their worries even just for an hour but not always.

And this took place in the evening of May 1, 2011 during the coronation pageant of Queen Regine Lorraine, Miss Mayflower 2011.

In Culasi, Antique, they uncover the 4Bs of the Filipino woman, in Banga, Aklan, they invite a comedian to entertain the audience during the coronation pageant.

Streamlining Gov’t Procurement

President Benigno Aquino III　has expanded the　government procurement　process and increased the limit of　advance payments　on purchase contracts in a bid to give equal opportunities to local suppliers and make sure tax coffers stay protected in case of a bad deal.

Pinoy signed Memorandum　Order (MO) No. 15 on May 9 that allows government agencies to make advance payments of up to 15 percent of the contract price of goods, supplies and materials purchased locally or from abroad, provided that these transactions are secured by an　irrevocable letter of credit　or　bank guarantee.

Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa, Jr.　said MO 15 amended a provision in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184 or the Government Procure-ment Reform Act, which allows a 10 percent advance payment for goods supplied from overseas.

RA 9184 provides a specific and limited exceptions to the rule against advance payment as prescribed in Section 88 of the　Presidential Decree　(PD) No. 1445, or the Government Auditing Code. The Code generally prohibits advance pay-ment for services not yet rendered or for supplies and materials not yet delivered under any　government contract unless prior approval of the President is obtained.

"The purpose of the prohibition against advance payment is to protect the government from the possibility of not receiving goods, supplies and materials for which it has already paid. However, this problem is squarely addressed by the requirement of prior submission of an　irrevocable letter of credit　or bank guarantee from which the government may seek reimbursement when necessary and without complication," Ochoa pointed out.

"The　presidential directive　was based on the recommendation of the　National Economic Development Authority 　(NEDA) to raise the allowable amount of advance payment to 15 percent from 10 percent of the contract amount," Ochoa said. /MP