NEGROS Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson cited the achievements of his administration in 2022 and his goals for this year during the first flag ceremony of the Capitol employees in 2023.
Lacson is back in office Wednesday, January 4, from his vacation leave during the holidays.
The governor's major project for this year is the Negros Occidental Bulk Water Supply Project.
He said they are hoping that the bidding for the project would be conducted in July and that there are already investors who signified interest for the project.
The biggest beneficiary of the project, he said, would be Bacolod City.
"We will also push forward the development of our bamboo industry for our Safe Water Project. Several local government units have shown serious intent to be the bamboo capital of the province," Lacson said.
He revealed plans to strengthen assistance to micro, small, and medium-sized enterprise sector through SSF or shared service facilities of the province.
"We are going to start the Showroom for the products coming from our shared facility. Our farmers will provide the raw materials which will be paid by the province. Such raw materials will be processed in our processing plant, and the province will market the products and find the buyers, to help our farmers and to establish the brand name, Abanse Negrense Products,” he said.
"We shall also pursue our Organic Trading Posts and continue our subsidy to our rice farmers and post harvest support through mechanization. We will be hiring job order employees to assist our farmers in all phases of the planting cycle. This is also in support to our President Bongbong Marcos’ rice sufficiency program," the governor said.
Our Food Terminal Market, the FTMON, with its food court and meeting rooms, will bring in more local revenues.
To repurpose and maximize the assets of the province, the Land Transportation Office and the Boy Scouts Building will be converted to a multi-purpose structure, another Cyber Center, and a halfway house for the watchers of the Negrense patients in Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital.
The Negros Occidental Language and Information Technology Center Global Campus will also be completed this year, and this will pave the way for more quality instruction and vocational training to further equip and prepare the Negrense workforce, he said.
“To strengthen our international linkages and partnerships, we will be sending our NOLITC trainers to Australia, so that we can produce Australian accredited workforce,” he added.
“Also, we will fully pursue our barangay-based nutrition program to comprehensively address undernutrition, malnutrition, overnutrition, and stunting in the province,” he said.
The one-stop shop of Provincial Environment Management Office (PEMO) will be operational early this year to facilitate the efficient processing of quarry permits, he said, adding this streamlined process will translate to lower prices of construction aggregates as they prepare for the construction and infrastructure boom of the province.
“These are just some of the plans we have for this year, in addition to our already established programs under our Abanse Negrense Development Agenda,” Lacson said.
ACHIEVEMENTS
For the achievements in 2022, Lacson cited the report of the Philippine Statistics Authority that all economies of Western Visayas grew in 2021, rebounding from the declines in 2020, with Negros Occidental leading the growth of the Region. Of the 5.9 percent growth of the region, Negros Occidental led the growth with the highest percentage points contribution.
As for the 2022 Excellence in Local Governance Awards, we were conferred as the first runner-up, Best Performing Province in Western Visayas, he said.
The Excellence in Local Governance Awards of the Department of the Interior and Local Government Region 6 aims to recognize the best-managed local government units in the region that demonstrates best practices, achievements and innovations in governance, administration, social services, economic development, environmental management and local legislation.
This year, the EXCELL Awards adopted the department’s Seal of Good Local Governance focus indicators as it continues to recognize the commendable performances of shortlisted Local Government Units in the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) regional assessment, national calibration, and validation.
The province was also named as champion in the Excellence in Environmental Governance, first runner-up in Excellence in Economic Governance; first runner up in Excellence in Local Legislation; first runner-up in Excellence in Administrative Governance; first runner up Excellence in Social Governance; and second runner-up in Excellence in Public Safety, Peace, and Order.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council also conferred the Gawad Kalasag Seal of Excellence to the Province of Occidental and declared the province Fully Compliant in adhering to the standards for the establishment and functionality of the LDRRMCOs, Lacson said.
He said, our Provincial Treasury Office was also recognized by the Department of Finance Region 6 and the Regional Association of Treasurers and Assessors as the Top 1 among the provinces in Region 6, on the year end growth in locally sourced revenues with our 83.68 growth rate, economic enterprise collection efficiency of 245.57%, and collection efficiency in four locally sourced revenues of 88.49%, Lacson reported.
"I am also happy to report that our Economic Enterprise Development Department overperformed this year. Our Cyber Center earned P99,595,000. Surpassing the 15million target, for more than 500%,” he said.
“The Mambucal catering also surpassed the P15 million target, with their P20,000,000 revenues. The Ayala rentals also surpassed the P35 million target to P51,000,000 by reason of our collection efficiency," Lacson further said.
Further, he said that beyond the awards, "our winning programs and projects are now models of good governance, worthy of emulation. These are proofs that the provincial government of Negros Occidental, despite the drawbacks, sought tirelessly the necessary transformations, desired innovations, improved coordination, planning, and implementation of programs."*