Aklan Is Among The Top Best 30

By ULYSSES ESPARTERO

Aklan is one of the 30 best provinces in the Philippines today as shown by available provincial statistics.
National Statistic Coordinating Board Sec. General Romulo A. Virola said, "Aklan ranks 30th in the evaluation for best provinces in good governance. It is one of the two provinces in Western Visayas included in the list, Guimaras is in the 20th place.
Virola, in his letter informed Gov. Carlito S. Marquez, that Aklan, though, ranks number seven in the evaluation for 30 Best Performing Provinces in Good Governance. It is the only province in Visayas region to be included in the top 10 best performing provinces. The other top nine (9) provinces in this category are Siquijor, Northern Samar, Occidental Mindoro, Agusan del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, Bukidnon, Surigao del Norte, Eastern Samar and Basilan.
"Professional statisticians and statistical agencies produce statistics for decision making. But many official statisticians have shied away from generating and disseminating indicators on democracy, human rights and governance for various reasons," Virola stressed.
"Statistical agencies can and should get involved in the measurement of democracy, human rights and governance. This is a challenge that official statisticians must address if we want to be relevant to society and respond to the aspirations of our people," he further stressed.
"Good governance is the responsibility of the governed as mush as it is of the governors," Virola added.
In 2003, the 10 best provinces in administrative governance are Agusan del Norte, Batanes, Misamis Occidental, Abra, Siquijor, Aklan, Oriental Mindoro, Cavite, Zamboanga Si-bugay and Compostela Valley. Four of the provinces are in Luzon, four in Mindanao and two in Visayas.
In terms of improvement between 2000 and 2003, the 10 most improved provinces in economic governance are Aklan, Agusan del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay, Biliran, Eastern Samar, Davao del Norte, Siquijor, Davao Oriental, Oriental Mindoro and Agusan del Sur. Five of these provinces are in Mindanao, four in Visayas and only one in Luzon.
Combining economic governance and administrative governance, NSSCB came up with a provincial Good Governance Index. Between 2000 and 2003, the following are 10 most improved provinces: Siqui-jor, Northern, Samar, Oriental Mindoro, Agusan del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, Bukidnon, Aklan, Surigao del Norte, Eastern Samar and Basilan. Five provinces are in Mindanao, four in Visayas and one in Luzon. /MP