Entrepreneurial Farmer

Marquez Lauds National Offices

Ambrosio R. Villorente

In his February 6, 2013 State of the Province address, Gov. Carlito S. Marquez expressed his greatest gratitude to various national offices operating in Aklan for their laudable performances and accomplishments especially the projects done, which are re-enforcing and strengthening LGU – Aklan’s development efforts.

Marquez cited the Bureau of Internal Revenue for its P1.14 billion tax collected in Aklan province in 2012. Aklan LGU is less dependent on its internal revenue allotment. Nevertheless, Akan’s IRA share constitutes a large portion of the provincial budget. 

Marquez credited the Department of Trade and Industry for generating US$2.4 million in export sales, P195 million in domestic sales and registered over P452 new investments. It generated about 5,200 jobs for the Aklanon.

For rehabilitating and upgrading Aklan’s irrigation system, Marquez recognized the National Irrigation Administration. He noted the P78.5 million NIA channeled to irrigation which is one of the major components of the quest to rice supply sufficiency.

For maintaining Aklan as the regional capital in Region VI in Coconut industry, Marquez cited the good job the Philippine Coconut Authority for its massive planting and re-planting programs. According to Marquez, Aklan has 4.5 million growing coconut trees on 44,700 hectares of land where 45,000 Aklanons are depending on it. 

Marquez thanked and lauded the Department of Agrarian Reform for its program of land acquisition and distribution. In 2012, DAR distributed 95 hectares and another 91 hectares under leasehold.

DAR also extended P4.1 million credit assistance which benefited 650 families. It also trained 1,500 beneficiaries on livelihood.

Moreover, through the DAR projects, some P25 million was spent to construct 11 kilometers farm to market roads in 2012, P60 million in 2011 and P73 million in 2010.

The Department of Agriculture on the other hand spent P30 million for farm to market road in Aklan.

The DPWH’s Aklan Engineering District completed 37 infrastructure projects worth P102.4 million in 2012. It has until today on-going projects funded for P50.2 million out of the regular fund and P107 million from the 20 percent IRA development fund.

Escudero Is No. 1

Sen. Chiz Escudero in his re-election bid tied for the number one spot. This is the finding in a recent survey of senatorial candidates by pollster Pulse Asia. 

Sen. Loren Legarda got a rating of 58 percent while Escudero has 54.3 percent. With a margin of error of plus or minus (+/–) two percentage points, the two re-electionists were in a statistical tie for number one. 

The latest Pulse Asia poll showed those behind Legarda and Escudero. They were Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano–third; Nancy Binay and Rep. JV Ejercito were tied for fourth and fifth places.

Other candidates among the first top 12 were Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV; Sen. Aquilino Pimentel; Rep. Juan Ponce Enrile, Jr., former Rep. Cynthia Villar, former Sen. Migz Zubiri, Rep. Edgardo Angara, and Sen. Gringo Honasan II.

The 13th to the 16th places are Bam Aquino, Grace Poe and former Sen. Richard Gordon. /MP