Gov. Lacson bares major projects

Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson bared his priority programs and projects during his inaugural address following his oath taking on Saturday, June 25 at the Provincial Capitol grounds in Bacolod.

Gov. Lacson took his oath of office before San Carlos Regional Trial Court Judge Amy Alabado Avellano, while Vice Gov. Ferrer will take his oath before Bago City Judge Aireen Bonghanoy.

There are 10 comebacking board members and two newly-elected board members. Board Members Rommel Debulgado, Araceli Somosa, Samson Mirhan, Sixto Pal Guanzon Jr., Manuel Frederick Ko, and Andrew Montelibano will take their oaths before Sagay City RTC Judge Reginald Fuentebella.

Board Members Jose Maria Alonso, Andrew Martin Torres, Rita Gatuslao, Anton Occeño, Jeffrey Tubola and Valentino Miguel Alonso will take their oaths before Bago City RTC Judge Mary Jennifer Protacio-Artes.

Health Care

Lacson said that on his second term the provincial government will fully implement the Universal Health Care Program and expand and strengthen the existing Provincial Health Board through our 6 Inter-local Health Zones.

He added that the Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City will be converted from Level 2 to Level 3 to accommodate up to 300 in-patients.

“It will be our premier hospital, fully equipped with state-of the-art facilities, while the Lorenzo D. Zayco District Hospital in Kabankalan City and Cadiz District Hospital in Cadiz City will also be upgraded from Level 1 to Level 2, to serve up to 100 in-patients,” he said.

“We shall continue to modernize the equipment and infra facilities of our eight other district hospitals. The province will actively engage the partnership of non-government organizations and civil societies to implement disease-prevention medical interventions such as the Zero Open Defecation, Nutrition, immunization, and other preventive health services,” Lacson also said.

He said that the Provincial Health Office and Hospital Operations Department “will work to synchronize the delivery of both preventive and curative medical health care services to be more effective and cost-efficient.”

“We will also urge all local government units to adopt the One Hospital Command program to further simplify the process of providing our constituents with rescue and medical interventions in times of emergency,” he also said.

Social Services

For social services, Lacson said, the provincial government will establish the Centers for Children in Situation of Armed Conflict, Children in Conflict with the Law or the Bahay Pag-asa and Half-way House for rebel returnees.

It will operationalize the sectoral offices for the Solo Parents, Local Youth Development, Senior Citizens, Persons with Disabilities and Women. We will support Early Childhood Care and Development law, by leading the accreditation of pre-school private learning centers to ensure that quality education services are extended to early grade learners, the governor said.

He also committed to improve the services of the Provincial Government-owned and managed Negros Occidental Development Center for Women and Children, a residential home for abused women and children by letting the house parents to focus their attention to the welfare and rehabilitation of their clients.

Disaster Management

“We will expand the scope of services of our Provincial Disaster and Management Office by managing resources, including manpower, to effectively match the emergency needs of our constituents through the One Hospital Command, Emergency Rescue 911 and Command and Response Center,” Lacson also said.

We will further improve the set-up of our Automated Early Warning System with the installation of repeaters in critical areas of our local government units to improve the response of the concerned barangays in times of emergency, Lacson also said.

He said that in July a summit will be organized to issue a unified disaster response protocol to be adopted and followed uniformly during emergency and disaster situations.

Education, Sports

The governor revealed that for the next three years, the Capitol will offer scholarships for the dependents of non-returning and displaced OFWs, barangay leaders, Barangay Health Workers, persons with disabilities, and children of former rebel returnees.

The Negros Occidental Language, Information and Technology Center Global Campus in Talisay will be fully operational by next year, he said, adding that the facility is expected to train more young college undergraduates and out-of school youths to equip them for work in the Business Process Out-sourcing or call center industry, he said.

The said complex, the first of its kind in the province, will be offering special courses to cater to the demands of highly trained and competitive individuals of various specializations for work placements here and abroad, the governor also said.

“We will fully support the return to school program that will enable the students to cope with learning gaps caused by the pandemic,” he added.

The governor at the same time Lacson said that will continue to rehabilitate Panaad Park and Stadium, the premier sports facility of Negros Occidental located in Bacolod City.

“We will be conducting more training programs, including weightlifting, through sports clinics to train more aspiring home grown athletes, ” Lacson, a former varsity athlete himself, said.

Peace and Order

For peace and order, Lacson said that the provincial government will continue to work closely with tthe Department of the Interior and Local Government, the military and police forces, civil-society groups, and multi-stakeholders to implement peace-building activities, particularly in the rural communities, he also said.

“We will continue to provide socio-economic interventions to our former rebels, including subsidies for the education and health cards of their dependents. We shall endeavor to capacitate them in handling and managing their own socio-entrepreneurial projects to make them sustainable and active partners in community development,” he added.

“I often say that the walk of peace is a long one, and that for peace to be real, we must address, preserve, and respect the core of humanity and human dignity, and it must be the kind that leaves no one behind. To our Negrense brothers and sisters who are still active in the rebel movement, please know that we are eager to welcome you back as we vow to build a stronger and progressive Negros Occidental. Choosing peace is always the better choice,” he pointed out.

Food Security

In line with our thrust on Food Security, he said, the Provincial Veterinary Office and Office of the Provincial Agriculturist will complement and integrate their services to provide sufficient food sources — livestock, poultry, swine, crops, vegetables and marine products.

“We need to protect our P6 billion swine industry and P4 billion livestock industry. Negros Occidental has become one of the top livestock-producing provinces in the country. The province will remain as the top backyard producer of hogs nationwide and will continue to improve the genetics of local breeds for all animal species,” he said.

Lacson said that the Veterinary Office will preserve reproductive spermatozoa of Great Grand Parent from livestock, poultry, and swine so that we will have a continuous supply of affordable meat even during calamities and disasters.

“The OPA on the other hand, will strengthen the potential of our farm centers in the cities of Bago, Himamaylan and Victorias and the municipality of Moises Padilla even as we increase the number of seed-banks all over the province to develop our own certified quality rice and vegetable seeds for massive planting,” the governor also said.

“To ensure the availability of safe, clean, and potable water, we will undertake the establishment of bulk water projects that will tap surface water that mostly reaches the sea unutilized. Our local water districts, either run by LGUs or LUWA, should have adequate water sources from such facilities and stop their dependency on ground water. Together with the Public Private Partner Partnership Center, USAID and a private partner, we will start the construction of at least one bulk water facility in the next three years,” he said.

Water and Power

Lacson also revealed thatthe Alcantaras of Alson’s Energy will bring 32MW clean hydro electric power to the province, particularly in the 4th district.

“With these developments, reliable and locally generated energy will be made available to every household, every MSME and every large-scale industry, at a reasonable cost. Not only will we be self-sufficient in food and water, but Negros Occidental will also be self-sufficient in power,” he also said.

For the next three years, the implementation of the Integrated Provincial Safe Water Program will serve as the banner project for our Environment sector as it aims to address the issue of health and sanitation in the communities and will push for adoption of the Zero Open Defecation status or ZOD, he also said.

He added that the provincial government will develop and protect our three major rivers—Malogo, Bago, and Ilog Hilabangan to maximize the use of our surface waters; preserve the use of ground water for environmental protection to prevent salt intrusion, siltation, and soil erosion.

“We shall be forging collaborations, making use of Special Agreements in Protected Areas and other laws to maximize investments and livelihood opportunities for communities while preserving the environment, ” Lacson said.

Infrastructure

For infrastructure, our budget will cover the concreting of provincial roads, farm to market roads, maintenance of nine Bailey bridges, and overflow bridges that will be converted into permanent structures, the governor said.

Lacson also said that the province will also purchase heavy and light equipments, and nine Ponton barges for dredging to clear waterways to address flooding in some areas.

“We shall also construct six slaughter houses in the towns of Hinoba-an, Cauayan, Murcia, Toboso, Binalbagan and San Carlos City under the Philippine Rural Development Program (PRDP).

We shall also commence the construction of the 90 lineal meter bridge in Brgy. Puey Sagay under PRDP,” he added.

We will strive to recover the income that we lost during the pandemic and Typhoon Odette by improving our Economic Enterprises development initiatives with Food Terminal Market or Pala-pala and Negros Residences fully operational as income generating facilities, he also said.

We shall be formulating a development plan for Mambukal Wildlife Sanctuary to develop its spatial and aesthetic advantages while preserving the natural wildlife environment, Lacson said.

We shall continuously provide platforms for small entrepreneurs to develop and market their products, particularly the start-up enterprises, Lacson also said.

The Cyber Center earns P15 million annually. Now, under new arrangements, it has earned P67 million, from July 2021 to January 2022, with a 97 percent occupancy rate. Improvements and waterproofing on the structure are underway to elevate quality and safety of its workspaces. We will continue to work on attracting more locators and lessees until it is hundred percent utilized, he said, adding that the Cyber Center will be a consistent top earner for the provincial government in the years to come, second only to the Mambukal Resort.

The development of a 62-hectare provincial government property at Tambara, San Fernando, Talisay City, is currently in full swing. The property is ideal for Agriculture, Environment, and Tourism wellness camp, he revealed.

The site will also be showcased for the bamboo treatment facility and its large-scale production and promotion of treated bamboo materials for structural and architectural applications. Our focus on the bamboo industry will dramatically reduce our reliance on timber products. It will also substantially aid in the rehabilitation and protection of our watershed areas as well as increase our water supply, improve air quality and prevent further degradation of our forest protected areas. It will also facilitate economic growth in our rural areas as we organize communities in Tambara and many others into CDA-registered cooperatives and train them in skills and values to be our development and environmental partners, the governor added.

Lacson also said that the revenues of Negros for the past two years have been greatly affected due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Thus for the next 3 years, this administration will double its efforts to reverse the trend and to increase our revenues to finance our priority development initiatives and projects, he said.

We will upgrade our administrative and fiscal management and we will pursue our plans to digitalize our systems—from planning, budgeting, accounting, procurement, taxation, to property valuation, including the system of payments and collection of revenues to make it more efficient and transparent, Lacson said.

“Today, I accept in all humility the task the people of Negros Occidental has conferred upon me as their re-elected Governor. And in the discharge of this responsibility, I pledge my utmost dedication and commitment, to do not just according to my best, but according to what is called for and what is necessary,” Lacson said.

The governor also thanked Sanggunian Panlalawigan, “under the leadership of a good friend, the Honorable Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer and the entire provincial government of Negros Occidental, who are not only capable, but are ready of sharing, in full measure the hard work, dedication, and probity that government service demands. ”

“I have great faith in our ability as a people, as Negrenses, to overcome. Today, I ask from all of you your consummate support as we seek to recover, and once again reach for our collective aspirations, according to the vast potential of Negros Occidental. Our country’s long standing fight against poverty, unemployment, lawlessness, substance abuse, climate change and the recent global crisis caused by COVID-19, demand no less than our united and absolute cooperation and accord,” he said.

More than these plans, we must also recognize that as public servants, the true test of our integrity is not what we stand for, but what we fall for. Let us continue to show our country and our constituents that a reliable, honest , honorable and GOD centered governance is possible in our time and in our province, he said.

“I am also taking this opportunity to thank each and every Negrense volunteer who readily and freely, without need of any prompting, responded to the needs of the pandemic and calamities. The demands of our time are great and are different. It is for this reason that I commend this practice of active citizenship, … for volunteerism is the ultimate practice of democracy, the perfect exercise of freedom, to do as we ought, not to do as we please.”

“Let us consider today as not just the start of a new term of governance, but also of a decisive period, of a major turning point for Negros Occidental,” he added.

With the help of GOD, and with our grit, compassion and accord, we will rebuild Negros Occidental not according to what has been, but as it should be, Lacson said.* (EYA)