Entrepreneurial Farmer

by Ambrosio R. Villorente

Congratulations

This column sincerely congratulates Atty. Allen S. Quimpo on his conferment of an honorary degree: Doctor of Humanity, during the 14th Annual Commencement Exercises of the Aklan State University, Main Campus. The ceremony will be held at ASU Amphitheatre, Banga, Aklan on Tuesday afternoon, March 31, 2015 where Atty. Quimpo will also be the commencement speaker.

Doctor of Humanity degree as per Commission of Higher Education Memorandum Order, is one of the extra-ordinary degrees awarded to an individual by a higher education institution as a way of honoring a famous or distinguished visitor and to a person who has contributed an exceptional way to the upholding of the institution.

To recall, Atty. Quimpo is the author of the bill in the House of Representatives which was approved into law converting Aklan State College of Agriculture to Aklan State University in 2001.

A higher education institution authorized to award an honorary doctorate degree must have: 1. Attained a university status; 2. Must have existed as a higher education institution for a period of at least 25 years; and 3. Must have at least one (1) recognized doctoral program. 

Wind Farm

Guimaras will inaugurate its 54 mega watts wind farm on Friday, March 27, 2015 in San Lorenzo, Guimaras.

According to Daniel Del Rosario, Chief of Corporate Affairs of Trans Asia Renewable Energy Corporation, the event will showcase the strong partnership between Trans Asia and its stakeholders to “bulk up the country’s generating assets towards sustainable electricity supply.”

Trans Asia Renewable Energy Corp. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Trans Asia Oil and Energy Development Corporation which Operates the wind farm.

The San Lorenzo Wind Farm has 27 wind turbines, each of which is capable to generate two (2) MW. It started delivering power to the grid since October 7, 2014 after three (3) wind turbines.

According to Del Rosario, the wind farm is constantly delivering 100 percent of its capacity to the grid after its completion.

Obstructing Natural View

What happen to the proposed Provincial Ordinance concerning the placement of commercial advertisement in public places in consonance with values, culture and tradition of the Aklanons? Even government signages appear with commercial advertisement. Is this public private partnership? Or an indication of shortage of public funds to finance public affair.

I refer to the proposed provincial ordinance “An Ordinance Regulating The Installation, Posting, Hanging and Display of Streamers, Posters, Banners, and Other Similar Forms of Signages of Commercial Products/Goods, Including Billboards in the Province of Aklan and Providing Penalties Thereof.”

The above stated ordinance was sponsored by Vice Gov. Gabrielle V. Calizo-Quimpo sometime in July 2013. Is this ordinance approved? If approved, it appears nobody is implementing it. If not approved, it maybe logical to refile it, approve and implement it. There is urgent and actual need to regulate outdoor advertisement.

Some billboards are serving as traffic obstructions, some blocks street names. There are streamers which messages are no longer necessary as the event for which they were put had already been past. There are billboards, streamers and tarpaulin which are faded and therefore so ugly. They convey to the public the state of economic situation of our people and community.

The National Building Code, Section 2001 provides that “no sign or signboard shall be constructed as to unduly obstruct the natural view of the landscape, distruct or obstruct the view of the public as to constitute a traffic hazard, or otherwise defile, debase or offend aesthetic and cultural values and traditions”. This provision is repeatedly violated as no agency enforces it. /MP