Let us continue our march for progress
(Inaugural speech of re-elected Eastern Samar governor
Ben Evardone delivered during the Oath Taking Ceremony held July 2, 2007 in
Borongan City)
The passion of
politics is over. Let us get back to work.
We had divergent
voices and votes last May 14. But we have one hope.
Unity in diversity has
been our recurring story.
Our politics of
consensus and focus on collective effort has transformed
Eastern Samar
in a big way.
We are now out of the
Club 20, the list of the poorest and the most depressed provinces.
The short period it
took us to pull our beloved province out of the quagmire of poverty is
in itself an inspiring story.
Our record for the
past three years is something we can all be proud of. We posted great
strides in all areas where government ought to be present.
But the tasks ahead
are far from over.
On infrastructure, we
will embark, with the active support and cooperation of the municipal
and barangay officials, on a massive rehabilitation of our provincial,
municipal and barangay roads which have long been neglected,
especially access roads to agricultural production areas.
I assure you. Aided
with a fleet of brand new heavy equipment, we now have the will and
determination to tackle this perennial problem head-on because the
people have already suffered so much from bad roads.
To carry out this
task, I will issue an executive order creating the Provincial Road
Rehabilitation and Maintenance Task Force to be headed by no less than
your governor with the provincial engineer as vice chairman. All
kapatas and construction and maintenance man (CMM) personnel will
be recalled to report to the capitol to be members of this Task Force
for proper deployment to various areas which need urgent attention.
A company from China
will soon start the construction of Amandaraga Hydropower Plant at a
cost of P700 million. It will have a power generating capacity of 4
megawatts, enough to supply the energy requirement of the four gateway
municipalities of Lawaan, Balangiga, Giporlos and Quinapondan. The
rehabilitation of the Amanhuray Hydropower Plant will start soon.
We will intensify our
program to energize some of the barangays in the province. To date,
there are already 411 barangays which were energized.
We will also intensify
our efforts at providing potable water to the various barangays in the
province.
On agriculture, we
have started an earnest modernization of production and post-harvest
facilities, even as we have recorded decent increases in crop and
fishery production.
We have acquired 340
units of hand tractors, 100 water pumps for irrigation and 200 units
of pump boat engines for distribution to our farmers and fishermen who
have long been yearning for government support. (Later in this
inaugural program, we will start the distribution of the first batch
of recipients of pump boat engines.)
We facilitated the
release of P120 million pesos for the rehabilitation of some
irrigation projects and farm to market roads. And some more are
coming. We have been propagating certified seeds to further increase
the yield of the farmers.
We will revitalize our
coconut industry by maximizing its value-added products – like coco
coir etc. – and by encouraging intercropping of Jethropha and other
cash crops.
On tourism, we are
proud to report the influx of local and foreign visitors, awed by the
natural wonders we have and the hospitality and warmth of our people.
Calicoan Island will be the next Boracay. Or even better.
This week, your
governor, together with Presidential Assistant for Eastern Visayas Vic
Domingo and Guiuan Mayor Annaliz Gonzales-Kwan will go to Seoul, South
Korea to seal the intention to a leading Korean real estate company to
put up another world-class resort hotel in Calicoan, and on August 8 a
memorandum of agreement will be signed by the parties for the
construction of a 200-room Intercontinental Hotel to be finished in
three years.
At this juncture, I
would like to thank the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for coming up with
Investments Incentives Ordinance. And hopefully, the SP will
prioritize the approval of the proposed Tourism Ordinance to further
enhance our efforts to attract tourists and tourism investors. As you
know, there is already a world-class surf camp and a P5M yoga center
in Calicoan.
To compliment these
tourist facilities, the provincial government will actively pursue the
construction of a convention center here in this capitol site and at
the same time explore the possibility of establishing a new capitol
building on top of the mountain at the back, to give the provincial
seat of power a new face befitting a vibrant province.
(Early this
year, the League of Board of Members from Eastern Visayas wanted to
hold its convention in our province. However, they decided not to
proceed with the convention for lack of facilities, among other
reasons. Now that Borongan is a city, the province should compliment.)
I need not stress the
tremendous multiplier economic benefits that these developments will
bring to the people of our province.
On healthcare, there
is a long list of tangible achievements. The operations and management
of our two public hospitals – the Eastern Samar Provincial Hospital
and the Albino M. Duran District Hospital - had been cited by the
Philippine Hospital Association. The PHA had likewise cited your
governor for two consecutive years already for implementing a
comprehensive and integrated approach to health development.
The implementation of
the P560 million Provincial Health Investment Plan will start this
quarter, starting with the acquisition of ambulances for our district
hospitals, to make health services more accessible, more affordable
and more efficient.
We have had
breakthroughs in reining in child malnutrition, a silent killer, and
in checking maternal and child mortality.
There is still much to
be desired in our efforts to improve the delivery of health services
to our people.
We will not be
discouraged by the magnitude of the problems confronting the health
sector – from the lack of medicines to the scarcity of medical
doctors, which is a national phenomenon.
We are the host of
UNICEF, Plan Philippines, European Commisison, GTZ, Spanish
International Red Cross and UNFPA-aided health programs.
And we express our
sincere appreciation for the continued trust and support of these
international institutions, a concrete manifestation of a vote of
confidence to our leadership and our people.
On education, our
elementary and high schools have been outperforming those in key and
progressive provinces and cities nationwide where financial support is
not a problem, be it in the National Achievement Test or the National
College Admission Test and other barometers of academic excellence.
We hired about 300
province-paid teachers. We supported the WB/JBIC-funded TEEP. Last
Thursday during the oath taking ceremonies of governors in Malacañang,
I was informed that the President has approved the release of P40
million for school repair and 48 new teacher items.
About 200 provincial
scholars are now taking degree courses at the Eastern Samar State
University and in TESDA-accredited schools for technical courses.
Recently, the 1st
batch of welders and plummers, who were all provincial scholars,
graduated at the Llorente Training Institute, the only one in the
whole island of Samar. (Congratulations and thank you Mayor Cardona
and the local officials of Llorente.)
About 500 youth have
so far availed the Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES)
under RA 7323. This is on top of those who have earned gainful
employment as a result of our sustained program to generate jobs
locally and abroad.
On the environmental
front, we have arrested the despoliation of our marine resources. We
are nurturing our wounded ecosystems back to full health. While we are
promoting responsible mining, we have been very extra careful in
allowing mining operations in the province to make sure that the
primordial interest of preserving the environment is not compromised.
Our finances are
healthier, with surpluses posted after I assumed office in 2004 up to
the present. We contained waste, undertook austerity measures and
avoided the usual profligacy with public money.
We are in the Hall of
Fame of the AGAP, the Association of Government Accountants of the
Philippines for a more efficient handling of our financial matters.
This is the ultimate
proof that we are prudent with public funds. As a result of this, we
are able to provide almost all the legally-mandated benefits of
provincial employees. Also, because of this feat, we have gained the
confidence of international funding agencies, particularly the
European Commission, in pouring in resources to our province.
The next three years
covered by my 2nd term as steward of the province will also be spent
on re-engineering and re-inventions. To start with, I will abolish the
Provincial Transportation and Equipment Office and transfer some of
its functions and personnel to the Provincial Engineering Office to
beef up our road rehabilitation efforts and help maintain our heavy
equipment.
Our reorganization and
streamlining scheme, however, will not put in the back burner our
ambitious programs of education, health, anti-poverty, infrastructure
development and agricultural modernization.
The leadership of an
LGU in this millennium requires parity concern to both the traditional
concerns of government – the usual mandate to lift up education and
health – and facing up to the challenges of the ascendant themes of
this age.
By this I mean,
putting governance in sync with the technological breakthroughs in the
area of information and communication technology.
It is either we adopt
or we loose our growth momentum.
In line with this, we
are embarking on a computerization program, covering our crucial
operational work and key provincial offices. We will install a
wireless LAN or Local Area Network. Our Bio-Metrics Attendance System
will be full operational this year.
We will craft a
program to intensify computer education. Our target is to make Eastern
Samar a source of knowledge business workers. We have the talent, the
creativity and the bent. With adequate training, we can place our
young men and women in good and high-paying jobs in the Information
Communication Technology (ICT) sector.
On my invitation, a
leading international outsourcing company will come to the province to
train young Eastern Samareños to work in call centers. I will ask the
SP to allocate an initial amount of 500 thousand pesos to finance the
training. All the trainees who will pass will be hired immediately by
international firms.
For the next three
years, our educational thrust will cover a very broad range, from
early childhood care and development to improving tertiary education.
Again, let me thank the SP for coming up with a revised Child Welfare
Code. We are one of the few provinces which have adopted this measure
that is aimed at promoting and protecting the rights and welfare of
the children.
As an initial step, I
will ask the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to allocate P1 million to hire
an army of day care workers province-wide which will help prepare our
children shape a better future.
Skills training and
retraining will be a priority. The mastery of a skill is a premium in
this Knowledge Society.
Our health programs
will be along the imperatives of the World Health Organization:
improving primary health care, improving the basic health care
infrastructure and disease prevention. We will carry out a
comprehensive poverty-reduction program based on the 13 poverty
indicators. We have partnered with foreign and local institutions in
this effort, institutions that have been witness to our relentless
effort to combat the scourge of poverty.
I have already
directed the Provincial Planning and development Office to come up
with a viable livelihood program through microfinance.
As you steward, I am
committed to lead by example. Not by words but through deeds,
selflessness, commitment, integrity.
I will continue to
introduce unorthodox, innovative and pro-active style of governance to
enable us to compete with the rest of the 81 provinces, 130 cities,
1,500 municipalities and 42,000 barangays nationwide as we continue to
march for progress.
As we embrace new
approaches to meet the challenges of the times, I call on all sectors
to support all our initiatives in facing up to the challenges.
The Pacific, the part
of the world where the sun rises, is where
Eastern Samar
is.
This is where
the streaks of light break out to later blossom into the full light of
day.
Let us then work to
transform our streaks of growth, our seminal light, into a full-blown
morning of growth, stability and prosperity.
Thank you and May
God Bless us all.
Will taxes increase
after Catbalogan's cityhood?
By TONYBOY MORALES
June
22, 2007
Does being a city
entail increased burden on the people to pay higher taxes? This issue
is an important issue that everybody should know. I am glad that the
avid readers of Samarnews.com are now debating over the said issue.
Let me remind everybody that a 5-year moratorium on tax increases is
embodied in R.A. 9009, Catbalogan City organic law. Thus, there would
be no tax increases during the five-year period starting on the date
the law was ratified by the constituents of Catbalogan.
The caveat on tax
increases
However, tax increases
should be viewed in a "real" and not "nominal" sense. To illustrate
let us use some hypothetical examples: First, if the business sales
tax is at one-half of 1% of gross sales before the ratification of the
law, the tax rate cannot be increased within the five year period. So,
if businessman X earns 10,000 pesos for the year 2008, he will only
pay the existing tax rate of one-half of 1% which is 50 pesos. If he
earns 15,000 in 2009, he will still pay one-half of 1% of gross sales
which is 75 pesos and not the 50 pesos he paid in 2008. Hence, the
rates remain the same but the amount of tax paid increased due to the
increased gross sales.
Second, another
deviation is when the city council imposes a new tax. For example, the
city deems proper to impose a new tax on those who would use public
beaches, like Buri and Sunshine, because there is no existing tax at
the moment. The imposition of a new tax is not viewed by law as an
increase in tax because there is no existing tax from which increases
are to be reckon with. So, if the city wants to earn some money
outside of IRA and other incomes, to be creative is the name of the
game. Thus, a new tax is not a tax increase.
Third, let us focus on
property taxes which will be subject to a lot of contentions later.
Property taxes are shared between the provincial and municipal
government. If you are currently paying say 1,000 pesos as annual
property tax as assessed by the municipal assessor and during this
year you have made some significant improvements to your house that
would increase its value, the assessor may increase its assessment of
your house and you'll probably be paying more than what you are
currently paying. Therefore, the increase is due to the increase in
the value of your house while the rates remain the same.
Do not worry
For the next five
years, there would be no "real" increase of tax rates in the city of
Catbalogan. I guess that statement is a little bit correct. That to me
is an assurance that the price we pay for a city we wanted won't bite
us the moment we said yes to cityhood. Or, maybe after five years, tax
increases would be unnecessary because of efficient collection of
taxes, who knows. We should not be worried with things that may not
come to pass.
Taxes are essentially
good and the evils of taxation
However, taxes
must be viewed as a necessity for an orderly society and a responsive
government. The list of things that the government should do is long
and taxes are important to run the turbines of government. Only
corruption and tax evasion are the two evil pilfirages for the smooth
running of a government system. If we can pluck these two pilfirages,
the people will benefit tremendously from the services provided by the
government. People are willing to pay taxes if they know where their
taxes go. Taxes should go to the proper bucket and not to a corrupt
pocket.
The Legal Issue of
Catbalogan's Cityhood
By ANTONIO MORALES
June
16, 2007
The issue of
Catbalogan's cityhood being contested by the League of Cities,
represented by its Secretary-General Mel Senen Sarmiento of Calbayog,
is anchored on the fact that Catbalogan failed to comply with the new
income requirement now pegged at 100 million pesos by the Local
Government Code, as amended, in order for it to be converted as a
component city of Samar. The other requirements being land area and
population.
The crux of the matter
is that Catbalogan failed to comply with the new requirement but was
exempted together with other aspiring municipalities because these
municipalities used to have incomes above the previous requirement of
20 million pesos. In effect, therefore, these municipalities have
surpassed the old requirement but were blocked when the income
requirement was increased by 500%. Since the bills converting these
municipalities were already pending, meaning that they have been
filed, in congress when the increased income requirement took effect,
the bicameral committee of congress thought, and rightly so, that they
should be grandfathered, meaning that they should be exempted from the
new requirement since the bills pre-dated the new requirement.
It's
Money that is causing the controversy.
The opposition of the
League of Cities is not because they do not want somebody to belong to
an elite group of local government units (LGUs) called "cities" but
because their respective Internal Revenue Allotments (IRA) will be
reduced with the entrance of new cities. An IRA is like a commission
you get from the government for all BIR-collected taxes like corporate
and personal income tax, sales tax (EVAT), estate tax, capital gains
tax, gift tax, and other internally-generated income of the
government. Cities get a fatter check from the central government than
the municipalities hence the contention.
The
current system is wrong.
The current system of
giving more money to a more progressive LGU is highly questionable.
The number one reason why Catbalogan wants to become a city is not to
become independent and self-sufficient but to have more money from the
national government or simply and plainly said to be more dependent
from the national government.
IRA is like the
lifeblood of LGUs. Without it, many LGUs will become bankrupt. The
problem with this system is the too much centralization of the
government. When the local government units rely so much on the
national government for its simple operations then it should not have
been created in the first place because it cannot stand on its own
feet. Decentralizing tax collection and authority to tax should have
been prioritized so these local government units should no longer be
too dependent on the national government for income. It is sad that
almost 90% of LGUs in the country are IRA-funded and the hopes of the
Local Government Code of 1991 to create independent and self-reliant
LGUs have failed miserably.
Back to the Legal
Issue of Catbalogan's Cityhood.
The League of Cities
will definitely go to the Supreme Court to question the validity of
converting Catbalogan and other municipalities into cities for their
failure to comply with the 100 million peso-income requirement. They
will assail that even the president did not sign R.A. 9009, the
organic act of converting Catbalogan into a component city. Many would
ask now why GMA did not sign it into law. It was at the middle of the
campaign season and she wanted a solomonic solution to the contention
of the two opposing factions. She did not sign it to become a law but
has merely allowed it to lapse to become a law by not doing anything
to it after it was transmitted to her from congress. So, in effect,
R.A. 9009 became a law by mere lapse of reglamentary period.
Is R.A. 9009 (An Act
Converting the Municipality of Catbalogan into a Component City of the
Province of Samar and for other purposes) valid?
Although this is a
test case for the Supreme Court, it will eventually decide in granting
the cityhood status for Catbalogan and others similarly situated. The
doctrine on special and general law will come into play in their
decision. R.A. 7160 or the Local Government Code of the
Philippines
is a general law while R.A. 9009 (Catbalogan Cityhood Law) is a
special law. When a special law and a general law run in conflict with
each other, the special law will become an exception to the general
law. Thus, the cityhood of Catbalogan is actually an acceptance of
congress that it is an exception to the general rule provided by the
general law which is the Local Government Code. And, once the
plebiscite is done and an overwhelming majority says yes to cityhood,
the Supreme Court will recognize now the vox populi, vox dei doctrine
that the aspirations and hopes of the people shall forever be
respected and given due consideration as if it is a divine call.
How can Mel Sarmiento
stop the cityhood of Catbalogan?
The only logical
way for Mel Sarmiento to block the cityhood of Catbalogan is to
campaign heavily against the ratification of the law, RA 9009, before
the Catbalogan voters. It would be quite a gargantuan task for Mel and
he could not possibly stop an idea whose time has come.
The role of media in development work
(A message delivered by Most Rev.
Isabelo Abarquez, Bishop of Calbayog, during the CARHRIHL and Peace
Building Training for Samar media practitioners on June 9, 2007 in
Calbayog City)
First of all, I would
like to express my great joy at being invited to this affair of yours,
which I consider to be very important in our diocese and society. As
media practitioners, you are engaged in a very delicate job that has
great influence on the lives of people, taken individually or
socially. Thank you for this invitation.
You have asked me to
talk about “The role of media in development work,” and I would like
to start this by commenting on the gospel we have for today. It’s
about the poor widow who put into the treasury the last cent that she
had. Our Lord praised her mightily, telling his disciples, “I want you
to observe that this poor widow contributed more than all the others
who donated to the treasury. They gave from their surplus wealth, but
she gave from her want, all that she had to live on.” (Mk 12,44)
What a wonderful
lesson for all of us to learn! In our dealings with God and with
everybody else, we have to give our all, down to the last cent.
Applied to our work, this lesson can mean that we have to be very
generous in giving ourselves to it, doing it as best as we can, which
means perfecting it as much as we can, both materially speaking and
spiritually speaking. That’s because we always have to remember that
our work, no matter how lowly, always has both material and spiritual
dimensions. In fact, it has both human and supernatural dimensions.
This is because our work cannot help but reflect who we are. We are
not just creatures, nor even God’s masterpiece in the world of
creation. We are persons who know things and choose and love. More
than that we are children of God meant to share the life of God
himself.
We have to learn to
fulfill all the requirements the different dimensions and aspects of
our work demand.
Thus, my brothers and
sisters in Christ who are media practitioners, you have to have a
clear idea of what development is, that is, integral human
development. Especially in your field of work, the mass media, you
play a very crucial role in both the Church and world today. This is
because your work has direct relation to people’s minds. You can
easily reach many, many people. You can readily and massively
communicate news, views, opinions and teachings of every sort. Your
work is truly a great service to mankind, since you can widely
contribute to our entertainment and instruction.
Thus, going back to
what development is, we have to understand that integral human
development is not just a physical, financial, or social thing,
measured in terms of inches or money or prestige and popularity or
political power. It is what brings us to the fullness of our dignity
as persons and as children of God. Therefore, it necessarily involves
our duties toward God and others, and elements like charity, justice,
prayer, sacrifices, respect for freedom, common good, solidarity, etc.
Working for development is working for God and for others. It is not a
self-centered activity at all.
At this time when the
world is experiencing a very rapid pace of development, we have to see
to it that we have our goals and standards clear, otherwise, we can
easily get lost, swallowed up by the rampaging waves of technological
progress, multiplication of data and information, the confusion of
many ideological and cultural influences, etc. We have to know where
we are going and what means we have to get there.
Of course, we can have
several, different and even conflicting intermediate and secondary
goals, with their respective validity and legitimacy. We can also use
several valid and legitimate means. But we have to be clear about our
ultimate goal, our indispensable means and our constant standards,
which we all have to use and pursue even if we find ourselves in
different sides of a particular issue.
For this purpose, you
and I have to develop an increasingly fine sense of the POWER OF THE
WORD, which we use, you in your media work and me in my preaching. The
word can mean many things to many people. It can just be a sound, a
concept or idea. It can be used to evoke a number of things at
present, or to bring us to the past or to the future. It can project a
grand idea. It can effectively reveal us, our inner world. It can
reveal many and all things. It has infinite possibilities.
The WORD is very
powerful. And it demands a great sense of responsibility from each one
of us. In whatever way we use it, we have to see to it that word – any
word and all words we use – should be an integral part of the living
word of God, where there is concern for truth, charity, justice,
freedom, common good, solidarity, and everything that goes with our
dignity as children of God here and now. We have to understand that in
the final analysis, every word we use comes from God and should go
back to God, and that’s why whenever we use, even in our earthly
affairs, we have to see to it that it is praise to God, and because of
God, a source of goodness to all people.
For this purpose, I
now wish to remit to you some indications articulated by our Mother
the Church on how we should use the word in media.
We have to be
well-acquainted with the norms of morality and to conscientiously put
them into practice in our work. We therefore have to look to the
nature of what is communicated, whether it is proper or not to
communicate that information, as well as consider the entire situation
or circumstances, namely, the persons, place, time and other
conditions under which communication takes place, to see if they can
affect or totally change the propriety of communicating said
information. In other words, we have to have a keen sense of what can
be communicated and what should not, or what can be communicated under
certain circumstances. This is the virtue of discretion. This is
because as St. Paul said, not all knowledge is helpful, but “it is
charity that edifies.” (1 Cor 8,1)
In this regard, we
have to examine whether all gossips and rumors, especially involving
celebrities and other public figures, ought to be announced to the
general public. The right to information is not unconditional. It has
to conform to the Gospel commandment of love. We have to judge whether
or not it is appropriate to reveal the truth to the public.
Also, we have to
consider very closely the precise manner in which something is
communicated. Especially in areas validly allowing different and even
opposing opinions, that is, in the world of public opinion, the manner
should be characterized by cordiality, respect for all parties,
earnest attempt to dialogue to resolve a problem. We have to avoid
indiscriminate partisanship, reckless sensationalism, bad manners. The
language should always remain calm, objective and reasonable. We have
to avoid giving knee-jerk reactions, flippant commentaries. Things
ought to be studied thoroughly, making the necessary checking and
consultations to insure that the presentation is proper and decent. In
this regard, it may be good to realize the importance of being sporty,
open-minded and cheerful. These traits help us in carrying out work
well.
While the narration,
description or portrayal of moral evil can serve some valid purpose in
the media, it should be subject to moral restraint, lest it can harm
rather than benefit people. Let’s be more constructive, positive and
encouraging, rather than destructive, negative and discouraging.
There are more
indications. But I think we have covered the basic ones. I just hope
that you develop a certain code of conduct in doing your job so that
your work can truly contribute to the common good. Let’s take care of
your spiritual life, let’s always acknowledge the need for continuing
formation and conversion, because these are indispensable for us to do
our job well.
Let us ask Our
Lady, Our Mother always to be with so we would know how to handle the
power of the word, essential in our work in the media and in
preaching.
