Entrepreneurial Farmer

Ambrosio R. Villorente

In Sympathy With Aklanons Living Below Normal Life

The Metro Kalibo Water District (MKWD) has just transferred to its new three storey building located in Barangay Andagao, Kalibo, Aklan.

The building took some 15 months to construct which cost P40 million. The land cost P7 million or a total cost of P47 million for the land and building.

According to Mr. Edgar Isada, MKWD general manager, the money used in the land acquisition and the cost of labor and materials in constructing the building all came from the accumulated savings from the MKWD operations.

This MKWD managerial operations is highly commendable worthy of respect and emulation. Several years ago, MKWD was placed in the hot seat and in the limelight not because of outstanding accomplishment but due to some questionable purchases like the controversial PVC pipes. Due to it, two general managers were relieved.

The 20,968 concessionaires are having great trust and confidence on the duo: General Manager Edgar Isada and chairman of the Board of Directors, Atty. Edmund Peralta. To many Aklanons, Atty. Edmund Peralta is known as the man who constructs durable buildings out of savings.

One cited example is the construction of the two storey New Washington Town Hall constructed out of the P12 million savings of the municipality while Atty. Edmund Peralta was the Mayor of that town.

On the other hand, in LGU Aklan, there is now a proposal in the 2014 Provincial Budget to borrow from the bank to finance the construction of a legislative building.

This is the opposite to what the MKWD board and management did in the acquisition of land and construction of the new building.

Maybe, the honorable members of the Aklan SP can re-study the loan proposal to loan for building construction with the view to differ the legislative building construction to later years.

In December this year, the Provincial Treasurer of Aklan will auction real estate properties which owners failed to pay their respective real estate taxes. This failure to pay is a real indication of economic hardship.

This year, 2013, the sum of P81,565,192.18 or 11 percent of the provincial budget is appropriated for “Debt Servicing”. With the P45 million additional loan, annual loan repayment will greatly increased.
According to the National Statistics Office, for every 10 houses in Aklan, seven (7) needed repairs. These houses had floor areas ranging from 9.5 to 19 square meters inhabited by an average of four (4.3) Aklanons per house. What a miserable place to live! In a crowded space!
Consider also that all the 17 towns in Aklan are enrolled in 4Ps. The main qualification to get enroll in 4Ps is poverty.

Can our provincial legislators postpone the construction of a legislative building to sympathize with the Aklanons experiencing difficulties and living below normal life?

More Fruits

For those who are fond of eating lanzones and rambutan, I hope you have eaten enough of those fruits this year.

The season of these two tropical fruits is past. What are left of lanzones and rambutan are those from late bearing trees.

It is accepted that rambutan and lanzones fruited more this year. Hence, we expect less harvest of those fruits next year. /MP