Entrepreneurial Farmer

Ambrosio R. Villorente

Yap, A Mayor With Guts

Mayor John Yap of Malay, Aklan deserves long and loud applause for his action to close the West Cove resort in Boracay, Malay, Aklan. Mayor Yap issued his "Closure Order" on the basis of several violations West Cove has not complied with since building construction started a few years ago until completion and had been opened to guests.

According to Mayor Yap, West Cove is operating without business permit, no building permit and other requirements necessary to do business in his municipality like hotel and restaurant operation.

The closure order of Mayor Yap directed the owners of West Cove to immediately stop its business operations, close the establishment, and comply with the laws, ordinance, rules and regulations before re-opening West Cove. If not, demolish the structure.

But the man standing as owner of West Cove, Crisostomo Aquino alias Cris is strongly defying the Malay Mayor’s closure order. Until today, business is as usual in West Cove.

Is this man Cris a stone wall, so strong to defy a legal order? If he cannot obey a legal order from a duly elected official, then he is disobeying all the people of Malay who elected John Yap, Mayor.

"It is enough for good people to do nothing, for evil people to succeed", said Jose Rizal. Let the people of Malay support Mayor Yap on his crusade to do justice to every man. Let all Aklanons support Mayor Yap implement the laws, ordinances, rules, and regulations without fear and favor. He has started at West Cove, let us accompany him until all illegal businesses in Malay are wiped out.

Mayor Yap has the guts, all the balls, and strong political will. Congratulations Mayor Yap. Please continue your walk on the "Daang Matuwid".

Numancia Re-enacts Its 2010 Budget

In view of its inability to approve its Municipal Budget for 2011, the Numancia LGU is operating on its 2010 budget. This means stand still. Numancia cannot move on but operates as if it is still 2010. This is one year set back. For the personnel, there will be no promotion, no additional compensation.

Numancia cannot even start working on any development project this 2011. The officers and personnel can only perform the routine jobs like tax collection and issuance of permits.

What is happening in Numancia is a great challenge to the leadership, a strong challenge to Mayor Adolfo Iligan’s leadership.

But he cannot get the cooperation of his SB to approve the budget. In management, the budget is an instrument of "Control". Do the Numancia SB members control the
executive officials?

In a communication received via the "grape-vine", Mayor Iligan is a weak Mayor, to the point that some of his functions are exercised by "little Mayors".

Certainly, Mayor Iligan does not agree on this imputation. But if Atty. Iligan is the Mayor of Numancia who leads, why can he not get the compliance of at least the majority of the SB members to approve the budget?

Is there a "cog on the wheel" that hinders smooth travel?

One cog mentioned is the Budget Officer’s designation as Acting Municipal Social Welfare Officer which is said to have a "conflict of interest". Is there no conflict of interest if a personnel does the budgeting and himself disburse the fund for his social welfare project?

If yes, by all means allow him to continue holding dual positions. If no, by all means assign the function to another personnel.

But why give more work to a person when there are other personnel who can equally do the job or even do better?

This column wishes, as Plato said, "through obedience, learn to command". It is my wish to both the executive and the legislative officials to learn to obey and to command.

I wish Mayor Adolfo Iligan exercises his leadership, knows his way, shows the way, and goes the way: "daang matuwid". /MP