The Governor’s First 100 Days

When the governor sat in his office, he was aware it was not one’s sleight of hand that brought him here as a steward of Boholanos’ dreams and hopes. Bohol needed a steerer of the boat, so he wished to steer.

He wishes to be the embodiment of his people’s dreams.

At first, he didn’t sign up for the last gubernatorial race. He wanted to rest while his wife Vanessa would run as congresswoman.

But then, corruption at the provincial capitol agitated him. And someone should do something. That was a powerful motivation for him to run. And the rest is history.

God has marked out men’s appointed times in history, even the place they live (Acts 17:26). At the right time, Hon. Aris Aumentado serves as the governor.

As the embodiment of Boholanos’ prayers, the governor’s concern is not whether God is on Bohol’s side. Rather, being on God’s side is his greatest concern.

The leader has to be with the Creator. He should not just be the boat’s steerer. The governor does not just wish for a better wind; he wants to create a better sail. But then a better sail is not enough. So he rather wishes for the engine of the fastest boat, if possible.

Governor Aumentado’s administration positions the province as a smart-resilient Bohol advancing climate-smart agriculture and sustainable tourism.

He sticks to his core values, which were his campaign promises. He remarked: “Akong giduso ang mga prinsipyo nga unahon ang Bol-anon, limpyong panggobyerno ug kaayohan para sa tanan.”

The blessings of development should touch the least fisher folks and farmers. The rank-and-file employees should get it. It should be for everyone. It must be inclusive.

If the province needs thinkers, designers, or suppliers of products or services, the local government should not look elsewhere. It must avoid ignoring our own, lest talents and businesses migrate elsewhere, and the province will only have leftovers. This is the Boholano first policy.

The Boholano first principle extends to include the beneficiaries of development. The people should be the real beneficiaries of progress, not merely tools of someone’s outward show.

In a government, corruption’s connections to poverty are many and pervasive. Poverty attracts corruption, while corruption worsens poverty. Corruption lags, distorts, and diverts economic growth.

If corruption is the norm, they become more vulnerable to exploitation.   

So one of this administration’s core values is limpyong panggobyerno.

With the core values of inclusive development, Boholano first policy, and limpyong panggobyerno, the governor has created the development agenda for the first 100 days of his term.

The following elucidates the governor’s first 100 days. These are based on his development agenda months ago, anchored on his core values. 

STABLE POWER AND WATER

Governor Aumentado focused on achieving a stable power and water. He continuously explores various energy and water investors.

The province taps renewable power through the PetroGreen Energy Corporation that can provide the 27-megawatt Dagohoy Solar Power Project. The project already had a groundbreaking for this solar power. It is expected to operate in the fourth quarter of 2024.

The delegation from Karpowership visited Bohol. It is a Turkish company that supplies electricity through power ships. Bringing an idea that can lower our electricity rates, the power ship can use liquid natural gas and compressed natural gas which are cheaper in the global market. The company can operate immediately within 30 to 90 days because its power ships are ready.

This administration also comes up with a power transmission line. This is through the Double Circuit Cebu-Bohol Interconnection Project of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines-Corella substation expansion; and transmission lines of Maribojoc-Corella and Argao-Dumanjug; cable terminal stations; and right of way at Bohol and Cebu sides. We target this interconnection project to operate in November 2023.

To help the people with their water needs, the Philippine Rural Development Program, in partnership with the province, started in 2020 the solar-powered water desalination project. It is a process that makes use of seawater as a source of potable water system to be established in the island barangays of Cataban and Guindacpan, in Talibon; and the island barangays of Hingotanan and Bilangbilangan in Bien Unido.

The people do not just need stable power and water supply. Many also need to put food on the table. That is why it is important to deal with the means.

JOBS AND LIVELIHOOD

Picture in your minds thousands of our fellow Boholanos no longer needing to work in mega cities. Instead, they enjoy the company of their loved ones here. They no longer feel homesick and alienated in another city. This dream can come true if the provincial administration prioritizes on creating jobs and livelihood.

For years, many Boholanos go to big cities and abroad just to survive. One of the major problems we face is there are few opportunities for employment or livelihood. This is because the province has been operating in a closed economy. This does not sit well with the governor. He wants a more vibrant economy that results in more opportunities.

To address this, he welcomed SM. The team representing SM, headed by its senior vice president Bien Mateo, declared its move to invest here. SM will build its mall near the Camp Bernido in Dao. Governor Aumentado hopes this is everyone’s dream come true. SM builds not only malls. It is also into tourism, hotels, convention centers, and housing.

Upon knowing the plan of SM, Robinsons became uneasy. It will also set foot here.

Puregold asked about plowing money in Bohol. It plans to erect its outlets in Ubay, Talibon, Tubigon, Jagna, Carmen, Loay, Panglao, Tagbilaran City and Dauis.

This rate of development to magnetize businesses is unprecedented. It never happened before.

And what is the impact of these establishments?

SM alone can give us 2,500 to 3,000 jobs. Combining others which will open, we can open about 7,000 jobs or more.

Malls balance the rural and urban divide of provinces, according to Dr. Priscilla Tacujan in the Corr Analytics online journal publication. They narrow income gaps, increase the purchasing power of the poor, decrease inefficiencies, and give incentives to educating the workforce. No wonder malls measure economic growth.

To protect livelihoods, the governor mobilized the municipal and barangay task force to strengthen the African swine fever prevention program. Bohol remains free from ASF and avian influenza. The veterinary quarantine task forces in eight (8) ports and airport ensured biosecurity measures and served their purpose. The province deployed 37 veterinary quarantine inspectors and five (5) sniffing dogs in the ports of Ubay, Jagna and Panglao airport. It disinfected 52,488 incoming cargo vessels and confiscated 867 kilos of pork and its by-products.

More about livelihood, considering this is one of the foremost concerns in the province, the two (2) cold storage facilities that used to lay unattended at the seaport are now ready for use. The provincial government placed one at barangay Lumangog, Ubay to store dairy products. The other one is at the old airport to store fish.

This administration is after the full utilization of our human resources. The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), in coordination with the Bohol Employment and Placement Office (BEPO), put up a job fair at the Bohol Cultural Center. There were 577 applicants who stormed the venue as six overseas agencies and 13 local companies looked for new hires.

The province has constructed 95 fish cages with a small hut and stocked 52,500 fingerlings to thirteen People’s Organizations in Bien Unido through BFAR 7-Bohol Provincial Office. It also stocked 7,000 fingerlings to the Busalian Pump boat Operators Association in Busalian, Talibon.

When the typhoon Odette struck, many coastal fishers lost their livelihoods. In response, this administration turned over 130 units of milk fish fry dozer for fisherfolks from Garcia Hernandez, Anda, Guindulman, Mabini, Loay, Jagna, and Valencia. The governor intends to empower our fisherfolks so they can sell their fries to fishpond operators.

This administration strengthened the animal health program by providing honorarium for those behind the Barangay Livestock Aide Program. This program provided 71 carabaos worth P1.8 million passed on to 28 municipalities benefitting 71 families. Farmers and native chicken villages received training, logistics, and livelihood support. The province implemented the Gatas Bol-anon Program, which raised the raw milk production from 135 liters per day to 741 liters per day since August.

To increase opportunities for small businesses, the province designed the Sandugo Festival Fushion Nights, showcasing Boholano cuisines. From this 10-day event, the businesses generated P1.3 million in gross sales.

The Regional Project Advisory Board already approved three projects for the construction or rehabilitation of slaughterhouses. For the support of livelihood, these are in Loon, which is worth P21.2 million; Valencia—P16.6 million; and Tagbilaran City—P150 million.

Jobs and livelihood exist in the right business climate. That is why the provincial government needs to underscore the next area—trade and industry.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Crucial to the growth of our economy is the expansion of trade and industry. The governor started off his administration with a dialogue with national and local players, where he declared Bohol is open to investors.

The provincial government just crafted the implementing rules and regulations for the Bohol Economic Development and Investment Code (BEDIC) in the New Normal with the purpose of attracting more investments. BEDIC highlights Bohol’s investment priority areas and incentive packages for investors.

Success in entrepreneurship should be well-planned. Therefore, the province needs to equip entrepreneurs. It has conducted nine (9) seminar series for 430 beneficiaries through the Basic Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Transformation (BEST). This BEST Series builds the capacity of MSMEs through seminars on entrepreneurship, business management, marketing, and product development, among others.

Now this is the more exciting part. About 110 have already expressed an interest in plowing their money in the province. If their entry to the province adds value to many, the governor’s principle is this: the more players, the merrier. 

Polish ambassador, His Excellency Jaroslaw Szcepankiewicz, just visited us for economic cooperation with the province and local businesses in the areas of water management, smart technologies, the medical industry, and digitalization. Part of his plan is to establish an embassy in our province.

The Aboitiz company and its subsidiaries just proposed to manage the Panglao International airport. They introduced the Smart Water Network and planned to put up a solar farm.

The ordinance on the Mandatory Promotion and Procurement of Locally Produced Goods and Services, authored by board member Hon. Jiselle Rae Aumentado Villamor, is already approved on its first reading by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan. With this ordinance, local, regional, and national agencies in Bohol should prioritize local products and services before looking elsewhere. If implemented, at least 60 percent of the displays in the pasalubong centers must be locally produced.

The right climate for trade and industry depends on roads which come next.  

INFRASTRUCTURE

The local industries, agriculture and tourism in Bohol depend on infrastructure. The province needs to strengthen this as well. It has several initiatives in this area. One is a new diversion road leading to the seaport in Talibon, funded by the Sustainable Infrastructure Projects Alleviating Gaps (SIPAG), which had a groundbreaking last July.

This early, the provincial government is awaiting notice to proceed, as it has refined contracts. In our province, 58 percent or 500 kilometers have been paved previously, which means the province covered them with either cement or asphalt. The province still needs to work on the rest by paving at least 12 kilometers of roads per year.

Governor Aumentado just celebrated the groundbreaking of the Alegria to Bugho, Loboc farm-to-market road. He thanks former governor Edgar Chatto for initiating this.

Partner institutions also have their part in our infrastructure. For instance, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has its Roll-It program. It aims to develop roads leading to industry. This answers the clamor of existing industries hampered by the lack of roads.

Aside from the Roll-It, the Department of Tourism also has its project on the road leading to tourism sites. The purpose is to provide access roads for places that have existing tourists.

Transporting agricultural products is also our major concern. To address this concern, the province partners with the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Provincial Road Development Plan (PRDP) creating farm-to-market roads in partnership with the World Bank, which shoulders 80 percent.

Now, we discuss primary reasons we should have good roads—agriculture.

AGRICULTURE

In agriculture, the governor continues the programs that are working well because this is the most economical way to go. He does not abolish past programs because coming up with totally new programs in every administration hinders the province from mastering any intervention. Rather than overhauling past programs, he prefers to refine them. He just wants to add more to further strengthen what we already have.

The province has reviewed the buy-back scheme of rice from farmers under the findings of the Provincial Internal Audit Office. It plans to increase the percentage of rice buy-back from the current 10 percent of yield. The buy-back of rice is just an offshoot of the “Farm Clustering Towards Rice Sufficiency” program conceptualized previously.

This administration made the two cold storage facilities in the seaport functional. It has already transferred one to Ubay, while the other is at the old airport. A cold storage facility is a complete package composed of ice-making, banyera, and ice-crusher.

A few days ago, the province just turned over milk fish fry dozer (sudsod) to 150 coastline fishers who were affected by the typhoon Odette. The beneficiaries are fisher folks from seven towns.

This administration has started a new intervention in fisheries such as giving out 1,000 units of kitang and 100 units of fish traps (bunsod).

The province received from DA 56 poultry modules in July. It distributed these modules to the people’s organizations of all municipalities. Each module is composed of 100 broiler day-old chicks, four sacks of feeds and a roll of polynet each.

Previously, the provincial government has existing municipal native chicken production centers, municipal breeding centers for swine, and dairy program.

This administration sponsored the Farmers, Fisherfolks and Livestock Raisers Forum to address the high prices of prime commodities and ensure the sustainability of food supply in the province. Governor Aumentado wants to align the national and local programs of the government to the real scenario. The forum consolidated the issues and concerns of farmers and fisherfolks as reference for national and local agencies.

The province also promotes organic farming. This coming month of November, it will hold the1st Bohol Organic Agriculture Festival in partnership with the Kahugpungan sa mga Bol-anong Organikong Mag-uuma (KBOOM).

The province has continuing programs in agriculture, fisheries, and livestock as summarized below:

· Hybrid Rice Program

The province distributed 5,670 packs @ 3 kg/pack of hybrid rice seeds covering 1,134 hectares to 5 LGUs (Pilar, Dagohoy, Ubay, San Miguel, Talibon) with 20 Irrigators Association for Wet Season 2022. 

· Inbred Rice Program

The provincial government sent a request to PHILRICE to increase seed allocation for Bohol to 80% physical rice area of the province. This is under the Rice Competitive Enhancement Fund.

· Hybrid Corn Program

About 233 hectares of corn area benefitted the hybrid corn program, where farmers produced 924 metric tons of corn.

· Open Pollinated Variety (OPV) and Inbred Corn Program

           About 173 hectares of corn farms benefitted, producing 387 metric tons of corn harvest.

· High Value Crops Development Program

The province distributed 10,180 packs of assorted vegetable seeds benefitting 730 farmer-clients from July to August.

· Provincial Plant Nurseries

This administration continues the operation of three (3) provincial plant nurseries in BOATech, Gabi Ubay, Balilihan and Macaas, Tubigon producing 4,375 pcs assorted fruit trees and various plant seedlings. Recently, the province completed the construction of three (3) out of six (6) units   Greenhouses in Macaas Plant Nursery Tubigon as part of the Department of  Agriculture - Quick Response Fund (DA-QRF) for Typhoon Odette damages. It also completed a Bodega with Dormitory House at BOATech, Gabi, Ubay in August.

· Tilapia Program

About 53,000 pieces of Tilapia fry/ fingerlings dispersed to 56 Tilapia raisers from the Bilar Multi-species Freshwater Fish Hatchery, BISU Bilar Campus.

· Bangus Program

About 53 out of 95 units of Bangus fish cages turned-over to bangus raisers comprising 31 fisherfolk organizations all throughout Bohol. In collaboration with BFAR, 57,000 fingerlings were provided to the fish cages beneficiaries.

· Bangus Hatchery Program

The province constructed one Bangus Hatchery in BISU-Clarin Campus, while the other will be in BISU-Calape Campus, to be constructed right after completion of the hatchery in Clarin.

· Provision of Fishery Inputs and Materials

This administration provided urea fertilizer for the production of lablab or natural food for cultured fish, gill nets, bonsod and multiple fishing handlines to fisherfolks in Talibon, Tubigon, Trinidad, Pres CPG, Mabini, Candijay and Guindulman.

· Soils And Water Laboratory

Ongoing construction of 5.5 million and the only Soils and Water Laboratory in Bohol is at 45% completion in the BISU-Bilar Campus. Laboratory equipment is already bought and ready for the operationalization of the laboratory after completion of construction.

· Livestock Development Program

Strengthened barangay-based animal health program through continued support to the Barangay Livestock Aide Program providing them with honorarium.

Ongoing implementation of LETS HELP Bohol Program with 71 carabaos passed on to 28 municipal-based POs benefiting 71 families with a monetized   value of P1,775,000.

Ongoing implementation of the Native Chicken Development Program where technical, livelihood, support equipment, trainings and logistical support are provided to farmers and native chicken villages.

· Agri-Fishery Enterprises

PHP140M of financial assistance from the Department of Agriculture will support various people’s organizations and cooperatives—production of  seaweed, fishery, coconut, high-valued crops, native chickens, goats, dairy processing and marketing and provision of support infrastructure.

          · Fish Cage Project

To increase fish production in the province thru a fish cage project that involved the construction of 95 units fish cages with small hut for the culture of bangus to meet the fish requirements of the Boholano population and extend       the much-needed help and support to the needs of a growing tourism industry.         The province wants to help decrease fish prices while providing livelihood and revenue to fishing communities and improve the socio-economic conditions of Boholano fisherfolks.

Agriculture complements another economic driver, which comes next. Read   on.

ECO-CULTURAL TOURISM

Tourism is one of Bohol’s major economic drivers. To start right, the province comes up with the Bohol Tourism Code, which is a priority based on  the concerns raised by stakeholders, such as transportation, tourist guides, and accommodation rates.

Tourist arrivals in Bohol surged back to 53 percent in the first half of the year, marking steady recovery of our once-booming tourism industry. The Department of Tourism region 7 and the Bohol Tourism Office conducted a training on Community-Based Kulinarya, enabling local MSMEs and community groups that are part of the culinary circuits.

To further enhance our tourism, the governor supports the Albur Creative Village. Albur has turned into a magnet for tourists because of its diverse local cultural traditions and artisan works such as wood carving; pottery; loom; hat and mat weaving; traditional asin tibook; painting and sculpture. The town is also the home of urna makers.

The Albur Creative Village helps in establishing faith tourism, reviving the local creative industries, providing employment and income-generating opportunities, and empowering communities and stakeholders. A MOA was signed between Albur and the provincial government for the P10 million lot acquisition fund to serve as the project site. The province will soon start capacity building activities for this project’s implementation.

The province spearheaded this innovative village development because of how important creative industries are in eco-cultural tourism which the village promotes. According to UNCTAD Deputy Secretary-General Isabelle Durant, creative industries are critical to the sustainable development agenda. According to Durant, they stimulate innovation and diversification, are important in the fledgling services sector, support entrepreneurship, and contribute to cultural diversity.

With all resources, the governor sees that the constituents’ feet are not tied with governance issues, which come next.

GOOD GOVERNACE

Corruption in the government is every Boholano’s pinpoint or problem they wish to avoid. Therefore, the governor makes the anti-corruption drive a priority. As mentioned, this is the primary reason the leader took this challenge of leading. He just can’t bear it. He does not want mad tricks and pranks to root in the provincial government and all constituents—regardless of political color—must align.  

Governor Aumentado’s administration created the Office of the Governance Accountability and Review (OGAR), headed by Leoncio “Jun” Evasco, to fulfill a major campaign promise he raised during the campaign period, which is a platform of clean governance and prioritizing the welfare of the Boholano or the battle cry of limpyong panggobyerno ug unahon ang Bol-anon.

Based on experience, it took some time for a case to move forward in the Office of the Ombudsman. The reason: the Ombudsman has to send an investigating team of lawyers to evaluate the case before it can move further. That is why it takes time.

The administration can reduce the probability of delaying cases through OGAR. The office helps build a more robust case. An investigating team from the said office goes out to collect data. No office one can refuse records or evidences. After an investigation, the office makes a collegial decision from the team of lawyers. This makes it easier for a well-grounded case to move to the specific agency where it is filed.

The governor really means business in establishing the OGAR office. The province has already penalized some of the governor’s close friends for disregarding environmental laws. From what he shows, the message should already be clear—that he is serious about dealing with those who cut corners in the provincial government.

This administration will not look the other way if constituents abused public resources. Those who still feel comfortable with shady deals must take warning because their Halcyon days are over. The security of tenure for public servants might not always provide a lofty place to hide. Sometimes scawalags can thrive and hide, but under governor Aumentado’s watch they must flee.

This administration ensured there were no more illegal collection of fees and protection money in the processing of quarry and hauling permits. First time in the province, the governor issued a memorandum for the evaluation of 45 active sand and gravel quarry sites in the province.

This evaluation determines the level of their compliance with the revised Bohol Mining Ordinance of 2020. Non-compliant permittees were called for a technical conference. The Bohol Mineral Resources Regulatory Office (BMinRRO) also identified the top five companies in this evaluation. The Provincial Mining Regulatory Board conducts a monthly meeting regarding this issue starting July.

Governor Aumentado deputized the Bohol Environmental Protection Task Force headed by Ret. Col. Eduardo Malig-on to enforce mining laws. He also ordered the punong barangays to monitor the actual extractions of minerals in their respective areas by legitimate operators. The barangay leaders do this by checking the delivery receipts of these operations and submitting a monthly report.

Permittees themselves admired the transparent and seamless process of issuing quarry permits in this administration.

The previous administration undermined bidding. But the governor wants to restore its integrity. Prospective bidders have already heard his reforms, so the number of bidders is now increasing as they signify their renewed trust and confidence.    

The province has reviewed and completed the schedule of prices of goods, supplies, and services for procurement. It also established a database of suppliers or contractors integrated into our e-procurement system.

At the start of my office, undistributed post-Odette relief goods still lay at the Bohol Cultural Center. The governor immediately ordered for their release. He also plans to create a warehouse to stock these goods for emergencies. Alongside with this plan is a proposed supply arrangement with local suppliers for immediate release of relief goods when disaster strikes.

SPORTS AND EDUCATION

This administration has existing programs to promote education. These are the CPG scholarship providing a tuition assistance of P6,000 per semester and other benefits with a sum of P23,000 a year. Those who cannot avail this scholarship can get a subsidy of P4,000 per semester for one year. Since last year, the province has started the Bohol Medical Scholarship comprising P200,000 tuition fee allowance per semester and other attractive benefits provided.

The province also supports achievements in sports. It provides incentives for our weightlifting champions such as Vanessa Sarno who romped home the gold during the last SEA Games and her teammates who also won in several contests.

HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES

In health, this administration continues its Covid-19 vaccination drive at the capitol lobby. It continues to buy hemodialysis machines for the Bohol Provincial Diagnostic and Ambulatory Care (BPDAC) facility and two (2) Devolved Hospitals in Carmen and Jagna.

The province keeps up with the Hospital Modernization Program.

This administration also continues to provide a financial help of P3,000 for a family member’s death.

THE ENVIRONMENT

Caring for the environment is consistent with how this administration packages Bohol as a go-to tourism destination. The governor had already started putting teeth on implementing the revised mining ordinance as mentioned. The province had already caught 16 violators, impounded the trucks of those who have no delivery receipts, and collected the fines.

This administration continues the giant clams restoration project that began in 2013. To recall, the province got 200 giant clams in 2013 from Bulinao, Pangasinan, which were dispersed in 10 marine sanctuaries. The province targets putting giant clams in all our marine protected areas.

These giant clams function as fish recruiters, provide food for fish, and are important for marine biodiversity. People’s organizations can earn through fees and diving services.

The province reactivated the Danajon Bank Double Barrier Reef Management Council, covering 10 municipalities from Tubigon to Ubay. Another similar project which the province also reactivated is the DUGJAN Marine Protected Area Management Council composed of Duero, Guindulman, Jagna, and Anda.

The province keeps up with giving technical help, assessments, trainings, and information campaigns related to ecological solid waste management, and inspection of material recovery facilities.

This government continues to impose strictly our coastal laws.

The province facilitated and took part in various reforestation and tree planting activities. These include the Tree Planting for Legacy wherein we planted 600 assorted native trees and bamboo, Trees for Unity Kick-off (planted 3,000 assorted native trees), Simultaneous Nationwide Tree Planting Activity, Launching of One MERALCO Foundation One for Trees, and Coastwise Projects.

Bohol has been nominated as the Philippine’s First UNESCO Global Geopark. Our representative attended in the Kick-off Meeting and Workshop on 4GEON Project, Eastern Partnership Conference in Pribram, Czech Republic where the province presented the Bohol Island as aspiring geopark. 

PEACE AND ORDER

How prepared is the province dealing with security issues? The governor assigned former general Art Evangelista, his executive assistant, to oversee these. The governors directed him to focus on fighting against illegal drugs and other forms of criminality.

The province has conducted a periodic audit on its disaster response, trained its Provincial Security Force, and ensured the proper management of our jail.

This government has set dialogues with the New People’s Army who want to surrender.    

CONCLUSION

Where does the province go from here?

This report has given a picture of where the people are going on this journey. This is just about the first 100 days. The governor wishes that in the remaining days ahead, as God gives him strength, the people will be filled with celebrations of little and big breaks. May this administration create an atmosphere that multiplies its people’s blessings and divides their woes. May the constituents see a better Bohol.

This administration cannot do this on its own. This is based on the Biblical saying that unless the Lord builds the house, the workers labor in vain and unless the Lord watches over the province, the guards watch in vain (Psalms 127:1). Therefore, the governor needs the prayers of his people. Prayers can unlock abundant blessings. Prayers can remove what weighs the province down. It surely is the gateway to miracles.

May the people continue to support this administration’s efforts to create a faster engine for the ship, where all are stakeholders. This administration’s success or failure can affect everyone, regardless of political persuasions or beliefs.

May all Boholanos make this journey exciting as they look for the peep-o-day.