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WE HAVE WALKED THE TALK
Hon. Isagani S. Amatong
Provincial Governor, Zamboanga del Norte
VI.
CONSERVATION AND PROTECTION OF THE
ENVIRONMENT/ ECOLOGY
Consistent with the principles on ecological sustainability,
implementation of our economic development programs and projects
take into serious consideration the carrying capacity of the
environment.
This
is demonstrated in the preparation of Initial Environmental
Examination or IEE before the start of implementation of road
projects in environmentally critical areas, such as,
Sicayab-Bucana Road, Sibuco-Sirawai Road, Baliguian-Diculom
Road, and Siay-Pisawak-Kilalaban-Canatuan-Cuyan Road; and the
conduct of the engineering geological and geohazard assessment (EGGA)
for the ZN-Provincial Agri-Industrial project.
Other Related Projects Undertaken
Integrated Social
Forestry (ISF) Program,
aimed at ensuring
the protection of the province’s upland areas which are
vulnerable to degradation. This is being undertaken in
partnership with upland settlers. It’s a way of providing them a
means of livelihood while acting as guardians of the upland
environment. To date, we have maintained ISF projects in 45
barangays in the municipalities of Mutia, Siayan, Pres. M. Roxas,
S. Osmeña, Katipunan, Polanco, Jose Dalman, Tampilisan, Kalawit,
Liloy, Godod, Salug, Sindangan, Labason, Gutalac, and City of
Dapitan.
Greening of National
Highway and Provincial Roads with mahogany trees under the Clean
and Green Program .
A total stretch of
204.724 kilometers of national highway from Katipunan to Gutalac,
and Polanco to Piñan has been planted with mahogany trees.
Greening of provincial roads started in Brgys. Banbanan to
Capace of Pres. Roxas. A total of 4,048 mahogany seedlings were
planted along the 7.5 kilometers of provincial road connecting
the two barangays.
Rehabilitation of
Mangrove Areas, for
purposes of shore protection and sanctuary for fish and other
marine products in the coastal Barangays Tabon, Poblacion Mailig,
Poblacion Tabang in Jose Dalman, and Brgy. Doña Josefa in
Sindangan. A total of 650 mangrove propagules were planted in
these barangays.
Establishment of
Mini-Forest Parks in Schools, to
enhance the youths’ appreciation of a green environment.
Established the mini-forest parks in 20 public elementary and
secondary schools in cooperation with the provincial office of
the Department of Education (DepEd).
VII. RATIONALIZATION OF THE
PROVINCIAL BUREAUCRACY TO ACHIEVE GOOD GOVERNANCE
Good
local governance has always been the guiding principle of my
administration in the pursuit of this development agendum. Our
efforts to achieve good governance were recognized under the
Search for Local Government Leadership Award.
We
have been open and transparent in our decision making as
demonstrated by this administration’s respect for disagreements
presented by some quarters. We have held ourselves accountable to
the people for our actions and operations. These are all intended
to restore and maintain public confidence in the honesty and
integrity of our leadership and processes.
We
have institutionalized the active participation of the private
sector and NGOs in the various local special bodies like the
Provincial Development Council or PDC as mandated under the 1991
Local Government Code.
We
have them actively supporting in the implementation of projects,
three of which are the Multi-Food Processing Plant, DDKRM Growth
Corridor Development Project, Murciellagos Bay Development
Project. Private sector and cooperative investments in the
multi-fruit processing plant project constitutes 51.0% of the
project’s total project cost. The Dipolog City Chamber of
Commerce and Industry is leading the conduct of investment fora
to generate additional investment for the project. .
Our
DDKRM Growth Corridor Development Project is being complemented
by the CIDA-Pearl-assisted project of the Chamber, which likewise
prioritizes the development of the DDKRM growth corridor as one
of its areas of concerns.
Sustained Sound Fiscal
Position . . .
The 1991 LGC allows LGUs greater autonomy in
generating and mobilizing revenues from local sources and
allocating these resources to their various needs. It therefore
allows LGUs to be creative and innovative in broadening their
sources of revenues.
We
have exercised this power to create other sources of revenues by
adopting the cost-center scheme in the operation of
government-owned facilities like in ZN Convention and Exhibition
Center, socialized hospital services, contracting services scheme
in the implementation of nationally funded infrastructure
projects, and economic enterprise scheme in the provision of
services like the services of the motor pool.
With the adoption of these schemes, we are able to sustain sound
fiscal position of the province in the last 5 years. From
P 39.7 million in 1998, local resources
generated rose to P 198.40 million in 2003, indicating an
increase of 400.0%.
Human Capital
Development
Public Service
Development Program or PSDP . . .
The government is
just as good as the people that run it. To promote high standard
of service to the people and enhance values, the Office of the
Governor initiated the Public Service Development Program or PSDP.
Last year alone, at total of 362 employees, both regular and job
order, participated in the program.
Electronic-LGU or E-LGU .
. . Our participation in E-LGU program
of DOST and National Computer Center brings the province right
into the mainstream of the Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) era in the next five (5) years. Under this
program, the traditional manual operations involved in all
aspects of local government administration and management will
evolve into automated and computerized processes. The
expected end result : better and faster service to our
constituents, higher LGU revenues, and lower LGU costs of
operations. We hope to see the E-RPTS program in full
operation this year.
PROGRAMS AND
PROJECTS FOR THE NEXT 3 YEARS
The
next 3 years present the tall order to finish what we started in
1998, from completing various programs and projects to ensuring a
legacy of a government that is solidly founded on good local
governance. On-going programs where significant gains have
already been made will be continued and sustained. On the wings
for completion are a total of 517 infrastructure projects
amounting to P 199.11 million that will continue to provide the
necessary support to non-infrastructure development initiatives.
On top pf these projects are the
remaining five (5) of the twenty (20) school building projects
assisted by the Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce of the
Philippines, Inc.; four (4) projects in the Triple S-B area
funded under PL 480 Section 416(B) of the Department of Finance
amounting to P 56.0 million. Three (3) are road projects that
will address the physical isolation of the municipalities of
Siocon, Sirawai and Sibuco from each other and from the rest of
the province. The other, being the water supply project in
Sirawai ; the Zamboanga del Norte Sports Development Complex in
Brgy. Don Jose Aguirre, Manukan; development a breeding center in
a 189-hectare area in Brgy. Lipay, Jose Dalman; and the
implementation of various projects under ZAMBAS Phase II, BIARSP
Phase III, and WMCIP, all aimed at increasing agricultural
production and productivity in rural and CADC areas
Taking
off from the strengths of the various projects we had
implemented, we envision the fulfillment of establishing
Zamboanga del Norte as the Gateway to Mindanao.
The
opening of the Strong Republic Nautical Highway with the port of
Pulauan as the entry point and jumping off point to and from
Mindanao gives as the edge over other Mindanao provinces poised
to declare themselves as the gateway to Mindanao.
We
shall therefore, rally for the continuing funding for the
completion of the improvement and expansion of Pulauan port by
the national government. Complementing Pulauan port would be the
ports in Nabilid, Pres. Roxas; Lamao port in Liloy; and Sta.
Maria port in Siocon. The latter is being proposed for ADB
funding.
For
Dipolog airport, we shall continue to support the city government
of Dipolog in ensuring its inclusion in the new loan package
entered into by the national government with the ADB for the 3rd
Airports Project.
With
these major air and sea ports in place, alongside with good road
network and an investment friendly political environment, we see
the development of the DDKRM growth corridor, the cradle of agri-industrialization
in the province, in year 2004.
Already we are seeing positive signs of development with regard
to the ZN-Provincial Agri-Industrial Center (PAIC) along the
corridor, starting off with the soon to be launched Multi-Food
Processing Plant and ZN Quality Control Laboratory. I am looking
forward to the establishment of a coconut processing plant right
at the PAIC with the support of the Philippine Coconut
Authority. Hereto with a carrageenan processing plant in support
to our seaweeds farmers.
Once
the processing plant start operations, we expect the acceleration
of agriculture and fishery productivity, particularly of fruits,
vegetables, agar-agar, and other marine products. Employment and
livelihood opportunities are likewise expected to blossom
fulfilling the promise to make jobs available right here in the
province. Employment generation will be complemented with the
on-going practical skills capability building program beginning
with the conduct of a series of skills training in sewing at the
ZN –PAIC.
We
shall expand the coverage of our livelihood fund assistance to
further the growth of economic activities in the countryside,
particularly, in farming and fishing communities.
We shall enhance access of our people
to basic health services by continued introduction of reforms in
the hospital system to ensure quality health care thru the
implementation of the LGU Health Districting Zones, the PESO for
Health Program, and the Botika sa Barangay Program.
The
LGU Health Districting Zones calls for the establishment of a
strong partnership between and among the provincial government
thru the district hospital; the municipal government thru the
rural health unit; and the barangay communities. This
partnership involves the sharing of resources, facilities and
manpower for a more efficient and fast delivery of health care
services.
Targeted for implementation starting in year 2004, are the health
zones comprising the municipalities of Sindangan, Siayan and
Leon Postigo with Sindangan District Hospital as the center;
the Triple S-B cluster with Siocon District Hospital as the
center, and the Rizal Health Zone, comprising Dapitan City,
Rizal, Sibutad, La Libertad, Mutia and Piñan.
The Peso for Health Program is an
innovative mechanism for health financing. This will be piloted
in the municipality of Manukan thru Manukan Medicare Community
Hospital. Total enrollee to the program in Manukan alone has
reached 16,000 and in Sibutad, 1,299, as of latest count.
Under
the program, member-patient will be provided with free hospital
accommodation at Manukan Medicare Community Hospital, 50.0%
discount on laboratory fees, and free medicines worth P 300.00
upon confinement.
To
date, the local governments of Sibutad, Polanco, Sergio Osmeña,
Manukan, Jose Dalman, Siayan, Sindangan, and Leon Postigo, had
passed resolution adopting the PESO for Health Program. While,
the municipalities of Rizal, La Libertad, Pres. Roxas, Katipunan,
Siocon, Sirawai, Sibuco and Baliguian, had expressed support to
the program.
With
the declaration of the province as a new dairy zone in Mindanao,
we shall endeavor full development of the milk production and
dairy industry in support to programs geared towards eradicating
malnutrition among our children in the next 3 to 5 years.
We
shall continue to protect the rights of our children in early
education, health and nutrition, psychosocial care and
development, and food security that will result to their optimum
growth and development.
In education
we shall continue our humble assistance to the national
government in addressing the concerns on the lack of teachers,
classrooms, dilapidated school buildings and facilities. We shall
endeavor to provide water and power to waterless and powerless
barangays.
Establishment of forest parks shall be expanded to benefit more
schools and churches.
We shall also envision the
development of arts and culture in our province to promote unity
while preserving cultural diversity. The implementation of the
Zamboanga del Norte Performing Arts Center will provide the
venue in the promotion of the arts and culture, and boost the
province as venue for shows of nationally acclaimed performing
artists and groups.
To
further expand the markets for our products, we shall continue to
participate in relevant trade fairs and expositions, especially
in the BIMP-EAGA region, in partnership with the private sector.
Our
partnership with the local governments, the private sector, NGO
groups, and other stakeholders of development shall be harnessed
to effectively deliver services to the people. Respect for our
complementary roles will be sustained through consultation and
cooperation.
Sustained peace and order, and public safety in our communities
shall also be a continuing priority because we believe that
security and development are inextricably intertwined.
In keeping this commitment to our
people, discordant notes and disagreements among leaders are
expected to come about. This is how democracy works and my
administration will continue to respect that. Rest be assured
though my constituents that my administration will continue to
work with the interest of the people as the ultimate
consideration; will continue to govern under the guiding
principle of good local governance; and will continue to give you
an honest government you all deserve.
THANK YOU ! |
