By Ferdinand Zuasola -

The biggest bridge here which was badly damaged by a strong earthquake nine years ago was finally reconstructed, linking this town which is the economic center of Davao Oriental’s first district to the economic centers of the region.

Davao Oriental Governor Corazon Malanyaon and First District Representative Nelson Dayanghirang have led the opening ceremony here for the P447 million Baganga Bridge. Mati Bishop Patricio Alo officiated the blessing of the new bridge. The mayor of Baganga Remegio Nazareno and the mayors from adjacent municipalities like Mayor William Dumaan of Caraga and Mayor John Marco Dayanghirang of Manay have also witnessed the historic inauguration of the reconstructed Baganga Bridge. Rep. Dayanghirang have personally chosen the date of the new bridge’s inauguration, September 7, 2011, as Baganga residents celebrate its town fiesta on the following day.

Residents of this coastal and first-class municipality hailed the completion of the reconstructed Baganga Bridge, saying it will significantly boost the economic activities of this town of 50,000 people. A strong earthquake in 2002 badly damaged the Baganga Bridge, virtually isolating this town from the economic centers of the region. And due to a large funding requirement for its reconstruction, it took years for the cash-strapped government to completely rebuild the Baganga Bridge. In 2002, the Department of Public Works and Highways made a series of “emergency repair” and maintenance for the bridge to keep it passable for light vehicles.

In 2009, reconstruction activities of the Baganga Bridge have started with the DPWH funding the cost of the Phase 1 of the reconstruction project. In a statement, the DPWH placed the cost of the Phase 1 of the reconstruction project at P293 million that mainly involves the removal of the damaged bridge and the construction of a detour bridge, among many others. The Phase 1 of the bridge reconstruction project was completed in December 2010. The DPWH says that Phase 2 of the bridge reconstruction project has an allocation of P154 million that involves the construction of bridge slab, sidewalk, railing and approaches with abutment protection and grouted riprap. The whole project was completed in July this year.

“The completed bridge serves as one of the vital and major components of the national arterial road that links the provinces of Davao Oriental of Region 11 and Surigao del Sur of Region 13. It will also hasten the promotion of regional and provincial development such as agriculture, tourism and agro-industrial areas of the two provinces. The completion of the Baganga Bridge symbolizes progress and development as it serves as concrete evidence that the municipality of Baganga is moving forward,” says a statement from the Davao Oriental First Engineering District.

Gov. Malanyaon and Rep. Dayanghirang have both cited the great significance of the reconstructed Baganga Bridge, saying the government-funded bridge will surely rev up the local economy. The two officials says they are mapping out several development projects that would spur the first district’s economic growth. The two officials have also vowed to allocate more funds for the construction of vital infrastructure facilities like roads and bridges.

However, the DPWH District 1 here says that for the year 2010, it has implemented a total of 16 infrastructure projects costing P122.9 million for the improvement and rehabilitation of roads, construction of public buildings, repair of farm-to-market roads, construction of water systems and other infrastructure facilities. “Amidst some eternal factors that affect project implementation, the DPWH District 1 has exerted its best to improve its efficiency. Thus, we have completed 15 projects and only one project was not started due to late releases of funds. SONA-committed projects (projects mentioned in the State of the Nation Address) undertaken by the DPWH regional office are being continuously implemented. It has concreted 69 kilometers of roads and concrete paving of nine kilometers of road is still ongoing. Travel time has been reduced and ensured road users’ savings in the form of transport cost gained through the reduction of vehicle operating cost… These infrastructure projects have greatly contributed to the vibrant trade and commerce now enjoyed by the people of Davao Oriental,” says the Davao Oriental First Engineering District in a statement. It also adds that the P401 million rehabilitation, improvement and concreting of Surigao del Sur-Davao Oriental Coastal Road is still ongoing.

Governor Corazon Malanyaon says that among the overriding objectives of her mission and vision for her province is to “unlock” the human and natural resource potentials of Davao Oriental and free her constituents from the scourge of poverty so that they may look to a brighter future. She says this future will be built on education, good roads and infrastructure. “Through our substantive support on road rehabilitation, maintenance and improvement, in 2010 alone, 329 kilometers of barangay roads and 492 kilometers of all-weather provincial roads were maintained and rehabilitated,” says Governor Malanyaon.

By Ferdinand Zuasola -

President Benigno S.  Aquino III has finally declared the mountain range of Aliwagwag in Davao Oriental as the country’s new protected area after years of incessant struggle by local environmentalists for the national government to help them provide protective measures that would effectively preserve one of the “foremost landmarks” of Davao Oriental.

Through his Proclamation Number 139, President Aquino declared Aliwagwag as a protected area under the category of protected landscape and its peripheral areas as buffer zone. Aliwagwag, situated in the municipalities of Cateel and Boston in Davao Oriental, is host to the country’s most beautiful waterfalls, the Aliwagwag Falls, which largely remains a virtually undiscovered ecotourism destination for its distant location from the region’s economic centers.

President Aquino says the country’s new protected area “shall be known as Aliwagwag Protected Landscape, and its peripheral areas as Buffer Zone, subject to private rights, and without prejudice to the rights of indigenous peoples… Any contract, permit or license for the extraction or utilization of natural resources therein already existing prior to this proclamation shall, subject to national interest, be respected until its expiration. Areas covered by such contracts, permits or licenses which are found not viable for development after assessment  and/or exploration shall automatically form part of the Aliwagwag Protected Landscape.”

Davao Oriental residents including local government officials are warmly greeting President Aquino’s proclamation order, saying it was a big boost not only to the province’s tourism program but most especially to their environment protection efforts. Davao Oriental Governor Corazon Malanyaon says that President Aquino has become an “instrument to the full realization of the aspirations of the people of Davao Oriental.”

“Not only is Aliwagwag Falls known for its majestic beauty and grandeur but its massive volume of cascading waters that drain into the Cateel River plays a critical role in serving the irrigation needs of the vast rice fields in the area. The water volume is such that we are exploring into eco-friendly means to harness renewable hydropower to serve our energy needs and perhaps that of our neighboring provinces,” says Governor Malanyaon who for quite a long time was always in the frontline in the campaign to have the national government declare Aliwagwag as a protected area.  Long before she assumed her post as governor, Malanyaon, then a representative of Davao Oriental’s first district, had sponsored a bill in Congress for the declaration of Aliwagwag as a protected area. She was supported in the Senate by Senator Pia Cayetano who sponsored the same bill in the upper House.

“Being a vital and precious resources, it has long been our collective desire to have the Aliwagwag Falls and its vicinity declared as protected area under Republic Act No. 7586 or the National Integrated Protected Area System (NIPAS) Act of 1992. This desire is rendered more pressing with the clear and ever present danger of environmental exploitation brought about by the influx of unscrupulous people penetrating the area,” says Governor Malanyaon.

Protected area refers to identified portions of land and water set aside by reason of their unique physical and biological significance, and managed to enhance biological diversity and protected against destructive human exploitation. In a position paper prepared by the local officials of the DENR here, it says that “Aliwagwag Falls  is one of the important sites in Davao Oriental. The proclamation of the area as a watershed/protected landscape could conserve and preserve the habitat of important and vanishing species and outstanding sceneries which are assorted elements in sustainable development of natural resources and biodiversity conservation. It also plays a critical role as water catchment of the area that serves the irrigation needs of rice fields of Cateel, Davao Oriental and it also has a potential for hydro-electric facilities that will augment the energy needs of the province of Davao Oriental and the neighboring areas.”

The province of Davao Oriental has the largest protected areas in Southern Mindanao, covering at least 778.45 square kilometers or 43 percent of the total protected areas in the region. Aliwagwag’s aggregate area was put at 10,000 hectares, 78 percent of which falls within the province of Davao Oriental while 22 percent belong to the Compostela Valley province.  Aliwagwag is a new addition to Davao Oriental’s protected areas. Based on official records from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, there are now seven protected areas in Davao Oriental. These are:

1.     Baganga Bay Protected Landscape with an area of 205 square kilometers.

2.     Baganga Protected Landscape (1.14 square kilometers).

3.     Mati Protected Landscape (10.17 square kilometers).

4.     Pujada Bay Protected Landscape and Seascape (212 square kilometers).

5.     Mount Hamiguitan Range and Wildlife Sanctuary (68.34 sq.km.).

6.     San Isidro Protected Landscape and Seascape (175.90 sq.km.).

7.     Aliwagwag Protected Landscape (105.9 sq.km.).

Aliwagwag Falls is one of the province’s top tourist attractions. Governor Malanyaon says she is pushing for a sustainable and quality tourism program that requires community participation in protecting and managing natural resources, traditional culture and indigenous wisdom.

She says their tourism program aims to foster environmental ethics while promoting economic benefits for host communities and cultural enrichment for visitors. “I want a sustainable and quality tourism that is attractive to a diversity of foreign and local tourists, a tourism with a conscience that advocates for protection of natural resources and establishes mechanisms that are environmentally sustainable, economically rewarding and socially equitable,” says Governor Malanyaon.

The governor, however, says she put much premium in the need to protect and conserve the forest because of its important role, not only in the country, but more so in the integrity and survival of the world. She has earlier founded  the Million Trees Movement that highlights the importance of people in the efforts to save and manage the forest. She says she believe in the power of collaborative efforts concentrating on increasing awareness at all levels to support sustainable management, conservation and development of all forest for the present and future generations. She says that  sustainable management of forest can create a positive impact on sustainable development and poverty eradication.

The governor also says that in order to execute a successful undertaking in forest management, communities living in and near the forest must first understand the role forest play to their lives and to the whole world. “With a simple understanding on how things work between humans and their environment, people will surely feel a sense of responsibility making them accountable for the environment,” says Governor Malanyaon.

The provincial board of Davao Oriental has just passed an ordinance that would strictly impose a log ban in the whole province. Long before President Benigno Aquino III issued Executive Order No. 23 that impose a log ban in the whole country, Governor Malanyaon has already announced the provincial government’s log ban policy. “I have always been against logging whether it is legal or illegal. There is no such thing as totally legal logging. That is my belief,” says Governor Malanyaon during her dialogue with top police and Philippine Army officials in the province. President Aquino’s Executive Order No. 23 has declared a moratorium on the cutting and harvesting of timber in the natural and residual forests in the whole country and it also created the Anti-illegal Logging Task Force.

By Ferdinand Zuasola -

The province known for its famous “New Millennium Sunrise” is now building a museum which is touted to be the biggest in the Davao Region. And it will showcase not only Davao Oriental’s rich cultural, historical and artistic heritage, it will also be the repository of one of the world’s largest mammals, the Sperm Whale, as the highly endangered marine mammals are known to frolick along Davao Oriental’s coastline which is the longest in Mindanao.

“I have long envisioned and planned for the setting up of a museum. It will be the embodiment of the soul of the people of this province. It will be a testimony to our people’s efforts to nurture our environment, trace back our people’s growth and evolution through time and more importantly showcase our people’s culture and achievement. This museum will indeed become an important element in the development in firming up our civic pride among us as we take cognizance and show the natural wonders of our colorful culture,” says Davao Oriental Governor Corazon Malanyaon during the groundbreaking ceremony at the Provincial Tourism Complex here where the museum, officially called Davao Oriental Provincial Museum, is to be built.

“We will be featuring everything that the province has. From all the resources, from the mountains down to the sea. Tulad ng sinasabi natin sa ating provincial hymn, ‘Ang kabutayan, ang kapatagan, mayamanay, magandahay’ (As what our provincial hymn says our highlands and lowlands are so rich and beautiful). From the rocks of the mountains, down to the lowlands and the sea. And we will be featuring our beautiful waterfalls in the whole province, including our lakes, caves and the beaches,” says the governor.

The provincial museum  has a three-dimensional goal covering diverse fields of knowledge through various educational, scientific and cultural activities. As an educational institution, the provincial museum disseminates scientific and technical knowledge in more understandable and practical forms through lectures, exhibitions, interviews and publications for students and the general public.  As a scientific institution, the provincial museum will conduct basic research programs. And as a cultural center, the provincial museum takes the lead in the study and preservation of the province’s rich artistic, historical and cultural heritage. Governor Malanyaon says she envisioned the Davao Oriental Provincial Museum as a premier institution and repository of the province’s heritage, and as an “exciting, informative and enjoyable place to visit, a place that inspires people to learn from our traditions so as to help shape a better future.” She says the provincial museum is dedicated to the mission of collecting, preserving, studying, interpreting and exhibiting the cultural and natural history specimens from the historic times to the present.

However, based on the plan of the provincial government which fund the building of the Davao Oriental Provincial Museum, the skeletal remains of a 50-foot Sperm Whale, named by locals as Davor, will take the center stage of the two-storey provincial museum building. “An unforeseen event seemed to have been designed to interlock with our plan for a museum. A large Sperm Whale chose the shore of Governor Generoso town for its final resting place. The province was quick and decisive in its response in facilitating the delicate salvage operation  and proper handling of the whale’s skeleton. Special thanks to Ms. Cynthia Ging Rodriguez for taking all the pains in seeing to it that the Sperm Whale will go back to Davao Oriental. We have set in motion the building of the structure for what will be the world’s seventh largest Sperm Whale on display at the lobby of this museum,” says Governor Malanyaon.

According to provincial tourism consultant Cynthia Rodriguez, the 20-ton Sperm Whale was beached along the shores of San Isidro and Governor Generoso towns. Local residents have tried but failed to save the large marine mammal which eventually died after it was stranded along the shallow portion of the shoreline.

“Davor (the Sperm Whale) was initially beached at the municipalities of San Isidro and Governor Generoso. And because of its size, it got untied from a makeshift protection and floated to Talikud, Samal Island where it was retrieved by a team of fifty people from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, the Coast Guard of Region 11 and a bone collector. The tons of carcass was hauled several times by dump trucks… Davor is now undergoing preservation,” says Rodriguez. “The size of the Sperm Whale, Davor, is approximately 53 feet in length, the seventh in terms of size in the world list. The largest is 59 feet on record that died in 1937,” she adds.

Experts say the sperm whales are easily recognize by their massive heads and prominent rounded foreheads. They have the largest brain of any creature known to have lived on earth. Their heads also hold large quantities of a substance called Spermaceti. One common theory is that the fluid, which hardens to wax when cold, helps the whale alter its buoyancy so it can dive deep and rise again. Sperm whales are known to dive as deep as 3,280 feet ( 1,000 meters) in search of squid to eat. These giant mammals hold their breath for up to 90 minutes on such dives. These toothed whales eat thousands of pounds of fish and squid, about one ton per day. Sperm whales are often spotted in groups of some 15 to 20 animals that include females and their young while males roam solo or move from group to group. Females and calves remain in tropical waters all year long and apparently practice communal child care. Males migrate to higher latitudes alone or in groups and head back towards the equator to breed. They can cruise the oceans at around 23 miles or 37 kilometers per hour.

“It is expected that this museum project will be finished in six months’ time, according to Architect Ed Viacrucis, just in time for the official launching of our tourism development in the province because by next year, we hope to open Davao Oriental with all its sub-provincial local government units, including of course the City of Mati. We will open Davao Oriental to the world,” says Governor Malanyaon.

Davao Oriental is the first province in the Davao Region to build a local government-run museum, according to Architect Ed Viacrusis. “And it (Davao Oriental Provincial Museum) will be the biggest, much bigger than the museum in Davao City,” adds Viacrusis who design the provincial museum here. He says the provincial museum will become one of the province’s top tourism landmarks.

First District Rep. Nelson Dayanghirang, who also graced the provincial museum’s groundbreaking ceremony here, says the provincial museum will be a big boost to the local tourism and will finally put the province in the tourism map. He vows to extend full support for the success of the project. Second District Rep. Thelma Almario hailed the governor for the museum project “because that is the long-time aspiration of not only this local government unit but all. There are several bills filed in Congress and endorsed by the Committee on Education which I am a member of in setting up a museum in the local government units. I am very proud that in our province, Governor Malanyaon has taken steps towards the establishment of a museum. We are all very happy, Governor Cora, and thank you very much for thinking of this. And this would really challenge us to give support from our respective positions. Thank you and let’s enjoy the realization of this museum.”

Vice Governor Joel Mayo Almario says that he and all the members of the provincial board will extend full support to the museum project which he says will enable the local residents to have a deeper understanding of their cultural roots and appreciate the rich biodiversity of the province. City of Mati Mayor Michelle Rabat says the museum project will unite all the people of Davao Oriental. “Again, one for the books. This is another landmark for Mati and the province. Only you Governor Malanyaon can think of something like this. A nice project like a museum that can keep us together,” says Mayor Rabat.

“Let me emphasize that this museum is one important step that we as a people can take as a legacy for our future generation. As a people, we need to look back the past in order to move forward to the future,” says Governor Malanyaon.

By Ferdinand Zuasola -

The Department of Health is donating at least P35 million cash assistance to the province of Davao Oriental to help upgrade its local government-run health facilities like the provincial and district hospitals including the rural health units.

During a simple turnover ceremony held at the provincial government-run Davao Oriental Provincial Hospital in the City of Mati, Governor Corazon Malanyaon says the P35 million DOH donation to the province is a big boost to her administration’s flagship health program.

“We are going to use the funds for the purpose for which the donation or assistance is intended. I would like to believe that the Department of Health was inspired to help us because we had taken a lot of initiatives as far as construction of hospitals as well as health concerns,” says Gov. Malanyaon during her speech at the turnover ceremony.

The Department of Health represented by its regional director for Southern Mindanao Dr. Gene Baluma vows to extend more financial assistance to the local government units in the Davao Region to help them upgrade its health facilities. “Part of the strategic thrusts of the Department of Health is the health facility enhancement because as you can see, since the start of devolution, most of the health facilities in the country like hospitals and rural health units are being poorly managed by the local government units. Because of budgetary constraints, the LGUs can hardly repair the health facilities. Most of the government hospitals in the region that we have visited are already dilapidated and they are aslo poorly equipped. This horrible neglect of our government hospitals is all due to lack of funds. That is why the Department of Health is doing its best to help the LGUs upgrade its health facilities. We wanted government hospitals and rural health units to offer quality services to the people especially the poor who are the number one users of government health facilities,” says DOH Regional Director Dr. Gene Baluma.

The Local Government Code of 1991 has caused the devolution of health services from the Department of Health to the provincial and municipal and city local government units. The preventive care through the rural health units and barangay health stations was devolved to the municipalities and cities, while the provincial government takes over the management of the provincial, district and municipal and city hospitals.

“This P35 million donation is intended to help upgrade the health facilities and expand the capacity and to have access to quality health care for our people especially the poor, and to help us decongest the Davao Regional Hospital and the Southern Philippines Medical Center. As you can see, most of the illnesses that were brought to the Davao Regional Hospital and the Southern Philippines Medical Center can be handled by the provincial and district hospitals,” says Dr. Baluma.

The DOH has earlier lauded Governor Malanyaon for her administration’s successful health care program that saw the expansion of its provincial hospital from 100-bed to its present 200-bed capacity and the acquisition of state-of-the-art medical equipment for the Davao Oriental Provincial Hospital.

The secretary of the Department of Health Dr. Enrique Ona says the 200-bed capacity Davao Oriental Provincial Hospital which is the legacy project of Governor Malanyaon elevates the standard of health care delivery system for public hospitals. Governor Malanyaon says the tertiary, Capitol-run provincial hospital will provide high-quality medical care to the poor patients who cannot afford the services of private hospitals.

“The new Davao Oriental Provincial Hospital is an icon of my leadership’s commitment to the people of the province. It is not only a realization of our development agenda but a statement that things can be done with efficiency and excellence. Collaboratively with my partners in leadership as I am not alone in this, we have addressed our pressing deficiencies. The insufficiency of access to health services, malnutrition and poverty are not as formidable as they seemed now that we have proven we can make things happen,” says the governor.

“We may be overwhelmed by this beautiful structure but this is only a part of our whole perspective for an improved health care system. We will continue to address issues on delivery of social services, continue to expand our preventive health care program that will build up the poor. We dedicate this symbol of hope and love to the people of Davao Oriental and to all who will seek healing refuge,” says Governor Malanyaon.

”I think it is worthwhile relating to you that four years ago, ang sitwasyon sa among hospital makalolooy gayud. Sa gisulti pa lagi nila nga nahisama sya sa kanta nga Monalisa. The people ‘just lie there and die there.’ But then since the leadership of the provincial government  has taken the health program as a flagship program. Four years ago, muntik na kaming na downgrade  into a secondary hospital. So we tried to work it out that we will again be back to the original status of a tertiary hospital. It used to be a 100-bed capacity hospital. So again, it is something that I would like to emphasize nga mas maayo jud kong naa tay inisyatibo. It is so inspiring that we just got an assistance from people who have seen our efforts and determination to make things happen. From a meager sum of P2.5 million, according to provincial health officer Dr. Malintad, how can we build a new hospital, how can we build the outpatient department, how can we repair the old hospital building with only P2.5 million as the remaining budget for capital outlay.  So I said to him let’s just start with P2.5 million. We started the out-patient complex and we were able to finish it in just six months. The Department of Health saw the efforts, nagbigay sila ng reimbursement or refund. So we started the groundbreaking of the repair of the old hospital and the groundbreaking of the new hospital. In just a year, the new hospital was completed. This is now the new hospital which is a 200-bed capacity. So as I said, this is a work of love,” Governor Malanyaon told the visiting DOH officials and other regional executives of national government agencies.

The province of Davao Oriental has five hospitals located in the municipalities of Cateel, Manay, Lupon,  Governor Generoso and in the City of Mati. Three of these hospitals are primary hospitals and one is a secondary hospital. The tertiary hospital is located in the province’s capital, the City of Mati. All of the five government hospitals here are licensed by the Department of Health and has the accreditation of PhilHealth. The province has eleven Rural Health Units spread in its eleven towns.

By Ferdinand Zuasola -

Governor Corazon Malanyaon administered on Friday morning the historic oath-taking of Aquilino Martin “Koko” Pimentel III who was declared the true 12th winner of the 2007 senatorial elections by the Senate Electoral Tribunal.

The historic oath-taking ceremony was held at the Provincial Capitol’s covered court in the province’s capital, the City of Mati. Pimentel III is the first senator in the country who took his oath of office in Davao Oriental. Explaining his choice of Davao Oriental over his hometown Cagayan de Oro City as the venue for his inauguration, Senator Pimentel said he was overwhelmed by the support shown to him by the people of Davao Oriental.

“I am overwhelmed by emotion because it is now a reality,” says Pimentel whose proclamation was made a week after Juan Miguel Zubiri resigned and rendered his Senate post vacant. Zubiri is the first senator in the country to resign because of an election protest filed by Pimentel. “I could have taken my oath in Cagayan de Oro where I was born. I was impressed with the results in Davao Oriental even without me having visited the place. The people of Davao Oriental supported me and gave me such a wonderful placing in the province. I also have a high placing in Cagayan de Oro and in Misamis Oriental but it’s my place of birth so I have many relatives, while in Davao Oriental I virtually do not have any relatives,” says Pimentel during a press conference held at the Capitol in Mati.

Before a jampacked crowd at the Capitol’s covered court, Pimentel spoke to the audience in a mix of English, Tagalog and Cebuano languages. “I made a promise to our leaders here, sabi ko if I win, I will take my oath in Davao Oriental. I won but I was not proclaimed. So we fought. We fought, we are from Mindanao. We know how to fight for our rights. And we got proclaimed yesterday. One day later, we are here to fulfill our promise. Dili ko makaingon na I shall return because I have never been here. It’s the first time in my life to be in Mati, Davao Oriental.  And I am taking my oath as a senator of the Republic of the Philippines. But now, inyo nakong gi adopt as an adopted son of Mati City and the province of Davao Oriental. Busa makasulti nako paglakaw nako unya, I shall definitely return. I am very glad that I made the decision to take my oath in Davao Oriental without having seen the place, because Davao Oriental should be the model for Mindanao. Kong Makita nato, what such a progressive place, such a rich and beautiful place. But you have kept, I think, intentionally a low profile. So you are still awaiting to be discovered not only to the rest of Mindanao but by the rest of the country and the rest of the world. It is good that I am not only willing to fight, I am also willing to learn and I have learned a lot from a short conversation I have with the governor this morning. Davao Oriental is so rich in mineral resources. You are so rich in tourism attractions and you are such a well-planned place that you are producing agricultural products at the commercial level. And what made this all possible, not only your good location and your rich history because according to the governor this is the oldest settlement in Mindanao, but what is more responsible for your progress and for the peace that we see and the cooperation that we see is actually the unity of the people of Davao Oriental. So I have come not only to take my oath but also to learn from you, and I will bring this new insight with me as I craft laws to strengthen local autonomy,” says Pimentel during his inaugural address here.

For her part, Davao Oriental Governor Corazon Malanyaon says she was “extremely overwhelmed” to have administered the historic oath-taking of Pimentel in her province. “I am extremely overwhelmed that I, a governor of a relatively small province, will administer the oath of office to a senator of the Republic of the Philippines. I am deeply honored to play the important role in this historic occasion unprecedented in the history of the Philippine Senate,” says Governor Malanyaon during her speech at the oath-taking ceremony.

“Thank you Senator Koko for this single honor. Thank you also senator for giving me this opportunity to publicly express my gratitude once again to your father, former Senator Aquilino Nene Pimentel, whom we call Nene with endearment who is responsible for my entry into politics when he appointed me as councilor of Davao City during the Cory administration. They say you can never put a good man down,  you persevered in spite of the overwhelming odds. As you join the Senate on Monday, we look forward that you will be our advocate for local autonomy and people autonomy like your father before who has been our champion for strong local governance. We trust that you will sustain all the gains the people of the province enjoyed under the Local Government Code. Dako ang among paglaum nga imong panalipdan ang tanan namong nakab-ot diha sa Local Government Code, og imong hatagan og katumanan ang tanang mga pangandoy sa among barangay officials, mga municipal officials, city officials as well as provincial officials,” says Governor Malanyaon whose political party during her first foray in politics was the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino – Lakas ng Bayan or PDP LABAN.

“MINDANAO MUNA”

The final and official count of the Senate Electoral Tribunal showed Pimentel leading Zubiri by 258,166 votes. Pimentel received a total of 10,898,786 votes, and Zubiri, 10,640,620 votes. Pimentel’s lead easily overwhelmed Zubiri’s 19,292 lead in the Commission on Elections’ Senatorial Canvass Report No. 30, which had him missing the cut at 13th place. Pimentel said he did not join the 2010 senatorial election because “I knew as early as 2008 that I had won.

“I hope this would infect the other institutions in delivering justice in our country. It can be done. My only request is that we find ways to do it more speedily,” says Pimentel. During his inaugural address here, however, the new senator vows to give much priority to Mindanao which continue to lag behind Luzon and the Visayas regions.

“So mga kaigsoonan, I am left with less than two years as senator. All I can promise you the people of Davao Oriental is that I will do all my best as a senator of the Republic of the Philippines in the limited time that I have. I will listen to you now that I have established contact with your provincial leaders and city leaders. I will maintain communication lines and I will listen to them. I will work together with your two congressmen, Congressman Dayanghirang and Congresswoman Almario. I will work closely with them so that whatever are your local concerns filed in the House of Representatives, you will already have a champion  in the Senate as I will fight the counterpart bill in the senate. Tandaan nyo po na kababayan nyo po ako because you adopted me. And of course, I also know that the senator can direct projects and direct funding to certain projects and I will use that influence in favor of Davao Oriental and to the City of Mati. But of course, after satisfying the needs of Davao Oriental and the City of Mati, I will also pay attention to the needs and the clamor of our brothers and sisters in the rest of Mindanao… Mindanao muna. I know that we are covered by the national media but this early, I will request for the understanding of our brothers and sisters in Visayas and Luzon. Please understand if I will prioritize Mindanao in my time, in my attention and in the resources under the direct control of the office of Senator Pimentel. Give us a chance. This is my way also of implementing my campaign promise in 2007 that I will implement and pursue affirmative actions in favor of Mindanao… Pagbigyan naman po natin ang Mindanao. Luzon and Visayas please understand. Let us make concessions to the island of Mindanao para po makahabol din kami sa standard of living ninyo diyan sa Luzon at sa Visayas,” says Pimentel.

By Ferdinand Zuasola -

One of the government’s big projects that aims to bring its best care and services to the highly impoverished living in the remotest towns and villages of the country was successfully launched in the two municipalities of Davao Oriental just recently.

The project called “Serbisyo Caravan” that brings government services directly to the communities was organized by the Association of Regional Executives of National Agencies  (ARENA) in Southern Mindanao. The group is composed of regional, city and provincial directors and other heads of national government offices, including government-owned and controlled corporations as well as the commanding general of the Philippine Army’s 10th Infantry Division that is based in the Davao Region.

“This project aims to bring together, as a group, national government agencies and government-owned and -controlled corporations, in tandem with the Philippine Army, to far-flung municipalities identified with high incidence of poverty by the National Economic Development Authority. We have brought our pilot Serbisyo Caravan cum community outreach program here in the municipalities of Boston and Cateel in Davao Oriental upon the strong representation and support of no less than the Governor Corazon Malanyaon,” says Achilles Gerard Bravo, regional director of the Department of Budget and Management who serve as president of the ARENA in Region 11.

“Our target beneficiaries will definitely save a lot of travel time and money through this outreach program. Instead of our clientele and stakeholders  having to go to the regional center Davao City or to the capital town or city of their respective provinces to transact business for a day or more, they can avail of the needed services directly. Forty six national government agencies with 230 personnel are participating in this pilot endeavor,” adds Bravo.

A grateful Governor Malanyaon says the outreach program has overwhelmed residents here, especially the highly impoverished natives living in hinterland villages, with best government care and services. She says the project is one of the best ways for the government to effectively win the heart of the people especially those living in the conflict areas.

“Let’s grab this very rare opportunity to avail of the best care and services from the national government agencies. We are indeed lucky for being picked to benefit from this special government project,” says Governor Malanyaon who spoke to a huge crowd using the Mandayan dialect in the town of Boston. Almost all residents of this third-class municipality flocked to their municipal gymnasium where the Serbsiyo Caravan was launched.

“ARENA coming to town is historic and very significant in the life story of the people of Boston. Never before had this happened. Perhaps the enormous problem of Boston have attracted national planners to lend their helping hands. With this effort, we hope the national agencies of the government will take a closer look into the socio-economic condition of the town and let it become the laboratory in crafting a new strategy to develop rural communities. Boston is a depressed town in Davao Oriental and it is fortunate that it is chosen as a venue of the ARENA 11 Serbisyo Caravan. The gains we will achieve… will help our people,” says Boston town Mayor Rebecco Rosit Sr. The sleepy and minerals-rich town of Boston has nine barangays and a population of at least 13,000 people.

“In response to the call of President Benigno Aquino III at his State of the Nation Address for transformation and reform, at the moment new innovations should be considered. Internal revenue allocation has bias for cities and urban centers. The standardization law and the magna carta for health workers work against the financial interest of municipalities. Unless these are corrected, it will give credence to suspicion of seeming growing neglect of rural communities. There can be no national development without rural development. This sentiment echoes for years, and hopefully the presence of regional officials will find meaning as they start to propose resolution to the age-old problem,” says Mayor Rosit.

“This is a very rare opportunity, we are overwhelmed by their great services. This is a huge manna from heaven. We thank the governor for bringing in these people from the national government agencies to our place. This is a big help from the government. It saves us a lot of our hard-earned money and time,” says a local government official of Boston town.

“It feels like we are so special. All the government personnel here are so accommodating they are giving us highly efficient services, and they are so warm to the lowly farmers like me,” says an old farmer in the town of Cateel.

PARTICIPATING AGENCIES

During the three-day Serbisyo Caravan, the Department of Budget and Management headed by its regional director Achilles Bravo has conducted consultation dialogue with provincial officials of the Department of Education and public elementary and secondary school teachers regarding personnel matters like teacher reclassification, among many others.

The Department of Labor and Employment headed by its Assistant Regional Director Venerando Cebrano has conducted career coaching to high school students and turned over fishing equipment to the three fishing communities of Boston town and seven fishing communities of Cateel town.

The Securities and Exchange Commission headed by its Regional Director Javey Francisco has conducted a forum on SEC registration requirements and procedures, including preparation and submission of annual reports and the prevention of investment scams.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources headed by its Regional Director Fatima Idris has distributed fishing gears, tilapia and carp fingerlings and turned over mud crab projects to fisher folk of Cateel and Boston.

The Department of Agrarian Reform represented by its Assistant Regional Directors Pedro Gumbao and Juldastan Rasul has distributed 43 Certificates of Land Ownership Award to the 192 agrarian reform beneficiaries of the two towns.

The Commission on Audit headed by its Regional Director Manolo Sy has held consultation dialogues with public school teachers and local government officials.

The Department of Social Welfare  and Development headed by its Regional Director Ester Acebedo-Versoza has distributed wheel chairs and social pensions to indigent older persons. They also launched a supplemental feeding program for the pre-schoolers. The DSWD also gave rice subsidy and “cash for work” to farmers and fisher folks. Recipients of the government’s Pantawid Pamilya Program also received more than five million pesos cash assistance from the DSWD. Based on records, the town of Cateel has 1,924 family-beneficiaries of the PPP while the town of Boston has 930 beneficiaries.

The Civil Service Commission  headed by its assistant regional director Lilia Clamor has conducted consultation dialogue with the public school teachers and distributed application forms for CSC exams and CS eligibility. The Professional Regulation Commission held a renewal of PRC licenses. The Department of Education headed by its Regional Director Suzana Estigoy has conducted a consultation dialogue with teachers and distributed raincoats to pre-schoolers.

The Commission on Population headed by its Regional Director M.A. Damsani has conducted a dialogue on responsible parenthood or family planning. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has distributed land titles and seedlings. The Land Transportation Office headed by its Regional Director Gomer Dy conducted emission test for motor vehicles. The Overseas Worker Welfare Administration held a consultation dialogue with the Overseas Filipino Workers and their dependents.

The National Statistics Office has provided off-line civil registration services and received requests for issuance of birth, marriage and death certificates including the certificates of no-marriage. The Department of Science and Technology has conducted food processing and soap-making seminars. The National Commission on the Indigenous Peoples has conducted an information drive on the indigenous peoples’ mandatory representatives. The Department of Trade and Industry headed by its Regional Director Marizon Loreto has conducted seminar on business name registration, business consultancies and business opportunities.

The Land Transportation Franchising Board has conducted information dissemination for drivers and operators. The office of the Regional Prosecutor has lectured on human trafficking and other legal services. The Public Attorney’s office also conducted legal counselling. The National Police commission headed by its Regional Director Benjamin Florentino has conducted an information drive on NAPOLCOM matters like exams, PNP benefits, scholarship for PNP dependents and PNP recruitment.

The Department of Agriculture headed by its Regional Director Oscar Parawan has conducted vaccination services and distributed an assorted vegetable and fruit seeds and held a consultation on basic agricultural services. The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority has conducted a youth profiling and distributed flyer on scholarship programs and synchronized conduct of National Competency Assessment.

The Department of Health headed by its Regional Director Gene Baluma has conducted a surgical mission in Cateel and Boston towns and handed over at least P35 million fund to Governor Malanyaon for the health infrastructure needs of the province. The Commission on Human Rights headed by its Regional Director Alberto Sipaco has conducted a legal counselling and jail visits. The Department of Public Works and Highways held an information dissemination on infrastructure programs. The Department of Interior and Local Government headed by its Regional Director Ananias Villacorta distributed handbooks on barangay governance to barangay officials of the two towns.

The Philippine Army’s 10th Infantry Division headed by Major General Jorge Segovia has conducted dental mission and provided transportation for surgical patients aside from providing security for the whole event. The PhilHealth has distributed PhilHealth Cards to 3,952 beneficiaries in the two towns. The Philippine Coconut Authority held consultation dialogue with coconut farmers and other stakeholders. The Land Bank of the Philippines headed by its Vice President Camilo Leyba brought cash services for the DSWD’s 4Ps program.

The Home Development Mutual Fund (PAG-IBIG) has conducted fund briefing and membership campaign and distributed membership forms. The National Irrigation Administration conducted a consultation dialogue with the farmers. The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency has lectured on anti-illegal drugs campaign. The other participating agencies are the National Food Authority, Maritime Industry Authority, Development Bank of the Philippines and the Department of Energy.

By Ferdinand Zuasola -

What started out as the first “Feast of Trees” in Davao Oriental two years ago that saw its residents from eleven towns of the province lining up in the national highway to simultaneously plant trees has now become a mass movement of people who only have a full understanding of the role forest play for humanity which is more than enough reason why potent actions must be done to protect and conserve the remaining forest covers.

Davao Oriental’s chief executive Governor Corazon Malanyaon, a staunch environment advocate who founded the provincial government-backed Million Trees Movement, has attributed the success of the forest protection program here to the relentless campaign especially in communities living in and near the forest that made people to understand the role forest play for humanity.

Governor Malanyaon puts premium in the need to protect and conserve our forest because of its important role, not only in the country, but more so in the integrity and survival of the world.

This year’s second anniversary celebration of the Million Trees Movement highlights the importance of people in the efforts to save and manage the forest. Governor Malanyaon believes in the power of collaborative efforts concentrating on increasing awareness at all levels to support sustainable management, conservation and development of all forest for the present and future generations. She acknowledged that forest and sustainable management of it can create a positive impact on sustainable development and poverty eradication.

“The participation of a big number of our people clearly indicates the unifying attributes of the Million Trees Movement, transcending religions, political leanings, race, age, gender, social and economic status in life. It is my desire that the people of Davao Oriental do not only pay a keen interest in the cause of environmental protection but also in the translation of this cause into action by planting more and more trees. In this way, we will be making a gesture to the world in demonstrating our global concern and commitment and at the same time making our little but significant contribution to the cause,” says Governor Malanyaon who puts premium in the involvement of people as primary beneficiaries of the forest.

“Caring and protecting the nature is and should be everybody’s concern and responsibility because what is at stake is our life and the survival of humanity. Under the present leadership of the province, protecting the environment from senseless destruction is our topmost concern. This shows our unshakeable resolve and unswerving commitment to protecting at all cost our environment,” adds the governor.

The governor strongly believes that to execute successful undertakings in forest management, communities living in and near the forest must first understand the role forest play to their lives and to the whole world. “With a simple understanding on how things work between humans and their environment, people will surely feel a sense of responsibility making them accountable for the environment,” says Governor Malanyaon.

During the second anniversary celebration of the Million Trees Movement just recently, Davao Oriental residents held tree planting activities. In Barangay Don Martin Marundan alone in the City of Mati, residents planted at least two thousand hills of mahogany, acacia and falcata trees.

‘The governor’s Million Trees Movement has truly captured the hearts and minds of the people of Davao Oriental. The people in the province have now become enthusiastic and strong saviors and protectors of the forest,” says a female public elementary school teacher here who, along with her pupils, have participated in the recent simultaneous tree planting activity in the province. The Million Trees Movement also complements the governor’s Scenic Highway program that see tall green trees and medium flowering trees to be planted at an appropriate distance in all roads and highways of the province “to create a safe, beautiful, colorful, pleasant and scenic driving experience for travelers and guests to the province.”

However, the provincial board of Davao Oriental has just passed an ordinance that would strictly impose a log ban in the whole province. Long before President Benigno Aquino III issued Executive Order No. 23 that impose a log ban in the whole country, Governor Malanyaon has already announced the provincial government’s log ban policy.

“I have always been against logging whether it is legal or illegal. There is no such thing as totally legal logging. That is my belief,” says Governor Malanyaon during her dialogue with top police and Philippine Army officials in the province.

President Aquino’s Executive Order No. 23 has declared a moratorium on the cutting and harvesting of timber in the natural and residual forests in the whole country and it also created the Anti-illegal Logging Task Force.

Portions of the Provincial Ordinance No. 13-5-2011 entitled “An Ordinance Imposing a Log Ban Within the Territorial Jurisdiction of the Province of Davao Oriental” reads: “The entire province has been a witness to the ever-changing climatic conditions brought about by the La Nina phenomenon. The destructive effects of the phenomenon on the environment are apparent in the municipalities and barangays in the province and it is an accepted fact that the effects are worsened due to the continuous denudation of the forest zones. The watersheds and river systems supporting irrigation works and other facilities are in need of immediate protection and rehabilitation. It is the obligation of the state, including the province, to protect the remaining forest cover areas of Davao Oriental not only to prevent flash floods and hazardous flooding but also to preserve biodiversity, protect threatened habitats and sanctuaries of endangered and rare species and allow the natural regeneration of our forests. It is imperative to arrest the degradation, pollution and contamination of our river and water systems and to stem the wanton destruction of forest resources.”

The united Nations has declared the year 2011 as the International Year of the Forests. This year’s celebration theme is “Forest for People,” highlighting the importance of people in the efforts to save and manage the world’s forests.

The United Nations says that 31 percent of the world’s total land area is covered with forests while 36 percent of these forests are primary forests. In these lush greeneries live 300 million people  around the globe  as well as 80 percent of the terrestrial diversity’s population. Meanwhile, wood and non-wood products depend on 30 percent of forests for manufacturing resulting in over 1.6 billion people depending on forests for livelihood.

By Ferdinand Zuasola -

For successfully transforming its status from being a perennial laggard in agricultural productivity to becoming a leader in agricultural production in the Davao Region, the province of Davao Oriental was proclaimed the overall champion in the prestigious Gawad Saka Awards 2011 being initiated by the Department of Agriculture.

The jubilant governor of Davao Oriental Corazon Malanyaon, under whose watch huge amount of investments are poured to the province’s agricultural sector, witnessed the “historic” awarding ceremonies held at the Royal Mandaya Hotel on July 22, 2011 in Davao City.

“Ngayon lang ang Davao Oriental naging champion (This is the first time Davao Oriental was declared a champion). It is a source of deep pride for all of us and may it spur us to do better in the future,” says Governor Malanyaon during her speech at the awarding ceremony.

“From a province once tagged as the lowest in the region in as far as agricultural productivity, we have now established our supremacy in the Davao Region having been recently recognized as the overall champion in the 2011 Regional Gawad Saka Awards,” says the governor.

The Gawad Saka Awards is an annual search for outstanding achievers in agriculture and fisheries that represent various stakeholders of the community like the farmers, fisher folk, farm communities, scientists and organizations.

“Personally, this year’s edition of the awards is doubly special in that my province of Davao Oriental emerged as the champion province, a fitting testament to the quality time and efforts we have invested in coming up with innovative ideas and programs to improve our agricultural practices and systems. And so to all Gawad Saka awardees, especially those from Davao Oriental, my warmest congratulations! The distinction conferred upon you is a source of deep pride for all of us and may it spur us to do better in the future. Let me also take this opportunity to express my appreciation  to the officers and personnel of the Department of Agriculture regional field unit and RAFC 11 for sharing their technical knowledge and expertise in this field. The valuable assistance extended our way proved instrumental in much of the progress we have registered in this sector during the recent years. Ngayon lang ang Davao Oriental naging champion,” says Governor Malanyaon.

The Gawad Saka awardees from Davao Oriental are:

1.  Rosito Dagmang, Outstanding Large Animal Raiser

2. Rudy Rubio, Outstanding Fisherfolk Freshwater Fish Culture

3. Barangay Kauswagan of Banaybanay town as Outstanding Rural Improvement Club

4. Nagmasid Cooperative of San Isidro town as Outstanding Small Farmer Organization

5. Dr. Leah Jimenez of the Davao Oriental State College of Science and Technology as Outstanding Agricultural Scientist

6. Lupon FARMC as Outstanding Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council

Davao Oriental Governor Corazon Malanyaon has vowed to make farming in her province profitable especially for the lowly farmers and fisher folk. Since assuming her post in 2007, the governor says her main development agenda gives special focus at revving up agriculture and fisheries which are the main sources of livelihood in the province.

The governor says she will continue to pour funds for projects that would improve farmers’ access to markets like farm to market roads that would facilitate movement of their products to the market. Poor infrastructure has made it harder to physically bring products from the farms to the markets. And because small farmers finds the cost of bringing their produce to the market prohibitive, they are forced to accept low offers from traders who comes along to buy their output right at the farm.

Moreover, local government officials have also stressed the need to foster greater competition for farmers’ output that would widen their market options. Among the factors that keeps farm-gate prices low is the prevalence of a monopsony (single buyer) or oligopsony (few buyers) situation in farm areas. It is the reason why buyers are able to offer lower prices for farmers’ produce than would be the case if only there were more competition.

Apart from farm to market roads, the provincial government, in close coordination with the Department of Agriculture, is also keen on pursuing cheaper transport alternatives like tramlines (cable transport systems) and even horses for remote upland communities where roads are not economically feasible.

Governor Malanyaon also vows to help make formal credit become more widely accessible to small farmers. The governor is strongly pushing for Credit Surety Fund, a credit program being crafted by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas that aims to increase credit flow for the micro, small and medium enterprises in the country. The credit program will enable the poor farmers to easily obtain loans from the banks at a much lower interest rate.

Under the provincial government’s six-year agricultural development program, critical attention is focused on boosting agricultural productivity. Among its strategies to achieve food sufficiency is the Accelerated Production Area Development (APAD) approach which identify areas best suited for specific products based on the agri-climatic suitability and availability of markets for the products. Government support would then be focused in these priority areas to ensure efficient utilization of scarce government resources.

Local government interventions include concrete farm-to-market roads, small irrigation development, post-harvest improvement, greater efficiency in product markets, effective access to financial services, enhancing capability of small farmers and investing in appropriate science and technology.

The provincial government says that through its Accelerated Rice Production Area Program, rice production in the province will be increased from the present 33,509 metric tons to 58,585 metric tons in 2016. Agriculture officials here say that yield will increase from an average of 5.1 metric tons of Palay per hectare in 2011 to 6.2 metric tons per hectare in 2016. The existing irrigated area of 5,010 hectares will be increased to 8,000 hectares by 2016.

The ongoing construction of the World Bank-funded P252 million irrigation project in the municipality of Cateel will also boost rice production in the province. Governor Malanyaon says the Cateel Irrigation Project will provide sustainable irrigation water to approximately 1,600 hectares of suitable rice lands covering eleven barangays in the town of Cateel.

A total of 238,680 hectares in the province are classified as an agricultural land area of which 89 percent are crops’ land. A large portion of the area was planted to coconut. Based on official records, 160,638 hectares in Davao Oriental are planted to coconut, making it the country’s largest producer of coconut.

By Ferdinand Zuasola -

After bagging for three consecutive years the highly prestigious Gawad Kalasag Award, the province of Davao Oriental is once again being nominated as among the most prepared local government units in the country in terms of disaster management.

Officials of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) recently met with Davao Oriental Governor Corazon Malanyaon and other top officials of the provincial government in the City of Mati to evaluate the province’s disaster preparedness plan.

The RDRRMC officials comes from different government agencies, among them are the Philippine National Police, the Philippine Army, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology and the Department of Interior and Local Government.

The nomination will qualify Davao Oriental for the annual Gawad Kalasag Award given by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council which recognizes and rewards civilian and government organizations for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. The award recognizes self-help and voluntary efforts to protect high-risk communities against disasters.

The province of Davao Oriental is located in the easternmost part of the Philippines and a huge part of the province faces the Pacific Ocean, making it vulnerable to natural forces like typhoons and the most dreaded tsunami. Also, the province, like much of the country, sits on the Ring of Fire, an arc of fault lines spanning the Pacific Ocean where earthquakes frequently occur.

Flash floods and landslides that regularly hit the province have also caused large-scale displacement among its residents. And the people of this agricultural province who are highly dependent on farm and fishery sectors were also among the hardest hit by a long dry spell called El Nino that have wrought massive havoc on the province’s agricultural production and other rural livelihoods. Eco-system decline brought about by unabated degradation of the province’s forest and marine resources is now among the most pressing problems that the provincial government seeks to address through the adoption of a holistic, comprehensive, integrated, pro-active and multi-sectoral approach in addressing the impacts of disasters, including climate change.

Davao Oriental Governor Corazon Malanyaon, a fierce environment advocate, has formed since her first assumption into office in 2007 a disaster body now renamed Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC). Fully equipped with state-of-the-art tools and adequately manned by disaster experts, the PDRRMC, which is chaired by the governor, is now in the forefront of the provincial government’s relentless disaster preparedness campaign that seeks to inculcate a culture of safety among the people in order for them to effectively overcome disasters.

In her campaign among her people for them to embrace the culture of safety, Davao Oriental Governor Corazon Malanyaon never fails to remind them that they have no choice but to be always prepared as deadly disasters, like earthquake, strikes suddenly without any warnings.

Saying that your margin of survival is equal to your percentage of preparation, Governor Malanyaon believes that only when people are properly informed of the risks and hazards of their communities and subject them to a series of disaster drills will they become disciplined and overcome disasters effectively. Drawing lessons from her successful disaster preparedness initiatives and programs, the governor says that the success of reducing and managing disaster impacts also rests with the competent local government and an openness to work in partnership with civil society.

The integrated national-regional-community disaster management approach with a strong public and private sector collaboration is being successfully implemented in the whole province of Davao Oriental. Residents are taking to heart the repeated message of their community leaders to them that the prospect for survival and resiliency to disasters is first initiated at home by always engaging in disaster preparation, mitigation and response management.

Every local government unit and family here are encouraged to always discuss ways and means on how to survive catastrophic disasters by establishing standard operating procedures with defined action plan, communication, coordination and emergency provisions like waters, medicine, food and equipment like battery-operated multi-band radio, flashlights, outdoor gear, small tools and first aid kits.

The strong and wholehearted commitment of the provincial government to make the people ready and disaster-resilient has resulted to, among others, strict enforcement of zoning laws and building standards as its failure of implementation are among the factors that makes the impact of disasters like earthquake and typhoons more terrifying. The provincial government is making sure that the disaster preparedness at the institutional and community level is always sustained. Aside from conducting a regular disaster drills in mountainous and coastal villages and in public structures especially in urban areas, the provincial government have also successfully installed an efficient warning systems, identified evacuation centers, beefed up its fire-fighting capacity and equipped government–run hospitals in various municipalities with adequate supplies of medicine and personnel. The local disaster bodies from the provincial to the municipal level are also being adequately equipped with state-of-the-art search and rescue equipment.

Also, as part of the efforts to reduce the dangers of serious injury or loss of life from disasters, the provincial government, in close coordination with various government agencies and local government officials, have regularly identified potential hazards ahead of time and engaged all the stakeholders in advance planning. With the advent of the Disaster Risk Reduction  Management Act of 2010 and the Climate Change Act of 2009, the provincial government’s adoption of a holistic, comprehensive, integrated, proactive and multi-sector approach in addressing the impacts of disasters ensures the integration of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.

For the year 2010, among the major accomplishments of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) of Davao Oriental are the formulation of its Action Plan and the updating of its Provincial Disaster Preparedness Plan and the Provincial Contingency Plan for search and rescue during flood.

Moreover, on the same year, the council have also extended a total of P10.5 million in cash and food assistance to at least 13,650 families in the province who were displaced from their homes due to natural and man-made disasters like flash floods, fire and armed conflict between armed threat groups and government forces.

The council have also extended P6.5 million worth of medical assistance to 15,200 indigent patients through the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office. The council have also facilitated the transfer of the cash-strapped indigent patients from the province to the bigger hospitals in the regional center Davao City using its ambulances. Donations were also made to the local chapter of the Philippine National Red Cross and the Davao Medical Center in the amount of P850,000, and a subsidy to the local units of the Philippine Army in the amount of P225,000.

2011

Today marks not only the 44th anniversary since the founding of Davao Oriental but also the 4th year since I started my public service as your Governor.

I started my administration four years ago with a vision . . . a dream for a prosperous province buoyed by a strong and sustainable economic foundation . . . a dream for a cohesive community of local economies where governance and citizenry  work  together for progress while ensuring that resources for future generations to survive are not  compromised . . .  a dream for  a unified and dedicated political leaders working for the common good . . . a dream for an empowered  citizenry propelled by developmental and entrepreneurial mindsets free from the bondage of hunger and poverty.

In my four-year stint as head of this province,  I feeI confident that somehow I have shared with you these dreams  and together we have taken our development journey embracing these dreams for the Province and making these our guideposts in all our undertakings.    Since then,  we have embarked into a lot of  actions and initiatives to fulfill these dreams . . . which initiatives required aggressiveness,   changes and innovations. . . in what things to do and in how things should be done . . . We’ve gone through a lot of birth pains and adjustments  . . . as we discovered that we all need to  cope with … level up. . . and keep up . . .  with confronting demands  for more, better and faster  interventions for our people.

On this occasion, I take pride in swiftly walking you through  the milestones and highlights of how our collective dreams have unfolded and materialized over the past  four  years working together with you . . . and,  to what we  are still  intending to do in  the next few years ahead of us as we continue to realize  our vision.   I will not dwell on the details of our initiatives but on the substantive and tangible parts.

On good governance,  we have  gained substantial inroads by introducing innovations into  our structure,  building and capacitating our officers and staff  to become responsive,  accountable,  effective and efficient  service providers within the bureaucracy.  We have opened our new capitol building with its modern equipment and facilities to better serve our constituents.  We have strengthened our network and collaboration with    our LGUs – the city/municipalities and barangays – as they are our staunchest partners in development.  We have completed and adopted the 6-year Provincial Development and Physical Framework Plan and the Provincial Development and Investment Program (2010-2016) which serve as our development blueprint for the integrated development of the province.

Our  social development program enabled us to expand access  to and improve quality of basic services to our people.  Specifically, we have successfully upgraded and opened our  Provincial Hospital to its present 200-bed capacity.  Per record,  in 2010,   our hospital served 22,875 in-patients and 73,304 out-patients.  These services were augmented by the various medical outreach and other health care related programs undertaken by the province.  Proof to our efforts were the PAG-ASA Awards garnered the in 2008-2010 – for highest reduction in the prevalence of malnutrition in Region 11- from 17% down to 7%. We have also recorded the largest coverage among the provinces in Region 11 under our Madayaw Health Care Program – with 36,548 HH, a 95% coverage of indigents.

Through our substantive support on road rehabilitation, maintenance and improvement,  in 2010 alone,  329 kms of barangay roads and 492 kms of all-weather provincial roads were maintained and rehabilitated.  We have strengthened our basic support services with our Provincial Water Program. Our support to the public education sector and TVET garnered for us the Region’s KABALIKAT Award for exemplary performance in supporting TVET.  We have institutionalized our collaboration with Armed Forces on Peace and Development through the Outreach programs implemented.  In 2009-2010, we were adjudged as Best Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council in the Region and in Mindanao  and placed 3rd in the National level – Gawad  Kalasag Best Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council.

On economic development, our strong and integrated agri-business programs have significantly expanded and increased our agricultural productivity. We have adopted intensive and extensive agricultural production techniques in crops, livestock and aquaculture.  We have implemented   different projects through our 3,502 cooperators throughout the province.  And, in tribute to our farmer cooperators,  we have capped this year’s anniversary celebration with the First Provincial  Farmers and Fishermen’s  Day.  We have established our supremacy in Davao Region having been recently recognized  as Overall Champion in the 2011 Regional Gawad Saka Award wherein we were adjudged Outstanding in 7 categories –   Outstanding Municipal Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Council,  3rd timer Outstanding  PAFC, Outstanding Animal Livestock Raiser, Outstanding Scientist, Outstanding Fish Farmer – Fresh Water, Outstanding Rural Improvement Club and Outstanding Small Farmers Organization.  In 2010,

But beyond agricultural production,  we have moved forward to encourage value-adding of our raw materials and products.  We are now into advocating for entrepreneurial mindsets/attitudes through our REACH Program so that we will be able to hone and develop more entrepreneurs among our economic actors.  Not discounting the capacities of our local entrepreneurs and businessmen, we have strengthened our investment promotion through our Center for Promotion of Investments and Trade (C-POINT)  as we  open doors to interested investors from outside the province.

On tourism development, we have covered a number of milestones.  We have already launched our Welcome Park in Pintatagan, Banaybanay with a mini Pasalubong Center which is already drawing a number of visitors and commuters from all over. We have took off with our scenic highway program.  And, have already facilitated the enlistment of the Pygmy or Bonsai forest of Mr. Hamiguitan among UNESCO’s  World Sites Heritage. We are in the final stretch of completing the final dossier  incorporating the comments from UNESCO as conditions for the final inscription into UNESCO’s  World Sites  Heritage.  And, just yesterday, we did the groundbreaking ceremony for our Provincial Museum,  envisioned to be the embodiment of the Soul of this Province,  a landmark which will serve as conservatory of our culture and heritage and a showcase of our  natural wonders and bounties which we  can leave as a legacy for our future generation.

On safeguarding the environment,  our Million Trees Movement is still an on-going initiative throughout the province, jointly shared and contributed by  partners in environment advocacies,  both private and public organizations.

As one of the provinces along the Eastern Seaboard, we are lucky to be chosen as an ICRMP program beneficiary, a project joint implemented in coordination with the DENR  substantially by the Asian Development Bank.  We are honored by the presence of an ADB top consultant and his lady, Mr. Norman ________  who is with us today. We have already declared 221.475 hectares as Marine Protected Areas  and we have  lobbied for the establishment of ICRMP Marine Center in the province. While are still in the process of finalizing the Provincial Environmental Code of Davao Oriental,   we already enacted the Natural Resource Utilization Ordinance.

In a nutshell,  the achievements we attained  where we received awards,  recognition and accolades  from agencies are clear indication and confirmation that we were in the right track and we did things to the best that we could. Let me once again highlight on the following:

1)The Gawad Saka Overall Champion Award which we will officially receive on July 22

2)The award from the DOH and National Nutrition Council as the province with the Highest reduction in Malnutrition and the lowest  prevalence of Malnutrition in the Region

3)Kabalikat Award given by TESDA

4)Best Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council in the Region and Mindanao and 3rd in the National level – Gawad Kalasag Award

5)Provincial League of Governors have awarded Recognition for the innovative implementation of the REACH Program

And most rewarding, is the fact that the Province have won the interest of various international funding agencies where they have poured their financial support. (World Bank, Asian Development Bank, JICA, European Union, PUM Netherlands).

We have taken so much inspiration and challenge from what we have attained thus far  and  as we move forward  we continue to build up on these milestones  while proceeding to make our dreams bigger.

On ecotourism, we intend to officially open Davao Oriental to the world next year.  Ground works will be in motion to prepare the physical infrastructure to include view decks and parks as well as enhancements to natural sites.   Extensive capacity building will also be undertaken to prepare and build awareness and capacities of our communities and stakeholders on the ground.

We shall start to undertake and efficiently managed to its completion a P256 million Irrigation Project in Cateel – the first ever multi-million irrigation project  to be handled by provincial government in cooperation with the Department of Agriculture and the World Bank under the Mindanao Rural Development Program.  Its worthwhile mentioning that all the city and municipalities of the province are recipients of MRDP funding,  and on the aggregate,  Davao Oriental is the recipient of the biggest chunk of the MRDP funds at more than 50% of the funds made available for Mindanao.  Certainly, these projects will have immense impact in terms of job generation,  increased agriculture production and business development, among others.

Having the longest coastline in the Region at 528 kilometers,  we  have seen the opportunity of establishing fish ports with appropriate facilities  in strategic areas to  propel our fishing industry.

Fully aware of the current power situation in the country we are also seriously exploring  development of alternative sources of energy to back-up our bid for agri-industrialization.

In both projects, we will consider exploring public-private partnership (PPP)  and other innovative modes of fund sourcing  for such projects. We will also be more aggressive in promoting  investment opportunities in this province – as we have seen, we have so much to offer.

Ladies and gentlemen, the tasks ahead are still great … but we have proven that changes can happen. . for as long as we stay committed. . . we stay united . . . and we stay focused on what we want to achieve.. . our DREAMS CAN COME TRUE . Our  dream for a better Davao Oriental. . . For a better life for all its people,  not only for this generation,  but for generations to come. Kaninyong tanan, madayaw na pag selebrar sang ika kwarentay-kwatro na pagkautaw ng kanato probinsya. Mabuhay ang Davao Oriental!