CITY OF MATI, DAVAO ORIENTAL (PIA) --- Marking her seventh year in office and Davao Oriental’s 47th founding anniversary, Governor Corazon Malanyaon is bursting with joy and pride over her leadership’s “unprecedented milestones and landmark accomplishments.”
But the Governor refused to take credit for all the accolades she had received for herself, pointing instead to the province and her people that she loved and served.
“One and a half year ago, Davao Oriental experienced a defining moment when we were confronted by the unimaginable devastation of super typhoon Pablo. That incident challenged the extent of our courage, undaunted spirit and resilience as a people. It measured the extent of mankind’s capacity for goodness and generosity. It tested the foundation of our governance and leadership. Together, we faced up to the extreme challenge laid before us. We strived harder, we worked faster, we established more networks and linkages, we were united in our efforts and resolve to move on and move up. And I am proud to say that our collective efforts paid off. With the Almighty’s guidance and providence, we reaped and gained unprecedented milestones and landmark accomplishments,” Governor Malanyaon said in her speech. The provincial local chief executive has just arrived from Doha, Qatar to personally witness the historic declaration by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) inscribing the province’s crown jewel, the Mount Hamiguitan Range and Wildlife Sanctuary, into the highly prestigious World Heritage List.
“It is with great pride that I announce to you the inscription of our very own Mount Hamiguitan Range and Wildlife Sanctuary to the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage List, the only one in Mindanao, the sixth in the country and thus far the only mountain in the Philippines inscribed as a World Heritage Site. The inscription is a celebration of the global partnership in our shared vision and desire to conserve these natural gifts for future generation, to continue with preserving the fragile ecosystems in the mountain amidst changing climate and typhoon patterns. 'A year and a half ago, we were brought down by a natural calamity. But we were appeased by the overwhelming support that poured in, from our countrymen and from our fellowmen from the rest of the global community. They have helped bring us to normalcy. It seemed to be a poetic justice then that just over a year after that incident, a natural treasure brought us recognition and prestige, and this time, we are sharing and giving back this gift to our beloved country and to the rest of humanity,” said the Governor.
The UNESCO’s declaration of Mount Hamiguitan as a World Heritage Site and the province’s recently earned insurgency-free status is set to bring the province to the world tourism map that will in turn help usher in big-ticket investments to Davao Oriental. Local government officials here says that the local and foreign tourists will soon know that the province is also host to the best beaches in the world including the centuries old Spanish churches.
“At the beginning of 2014, we have formally launched and opened for public viewing our Subangan Davao Oriental Provincial Museum , a structural landmark showcasing the rich historical, cultural and natural heritage of our province. Since then, it has captured the awe and appreciation of visitors and locales alike and has evolved into a main tourism attraction for local and foreign tourists. More than the structure, Subangan is our legacy to this generation and the future generations… for the next two years, we will embark on establishing basic amenities such as small parks, rest rooms and visitors’ lounge in all our tourist landmarks. We shall build on the laurels gained with the inscription of Mount Hamiguitan Range and Wildlife Sanctuary to the World Heritage Site List of UNESCO as we resolve to protect and conserve the site’s inscribed universal value and integrity. The inscription signals an opportunity for serious pursuit of tourism and sustainable development. As a world heritage site, Mount Hamiguitan will draw people of every nationality and various sectors: academics and researchers, tourists and businessmen .And before we are even overtaken by the influx of people, we will convene the newly constituted Mount Hamiguitan Protection and Development Board to design and map out a strategic master plan that will define the direction and guide the implementation for socio-economic, cultural and educational development of this world heritage site,” says Governor Malanyaon.
However, with only two years left before completing her nine-year term, the governor vows to continue to showing to the people she work with their capacity to transform, to create change and become better. In vowing to continue the province’s march of progress, Governor Malanyaon says her administration will always be creative and passionate at looking at solutions and not just be weighed down by challenges.
“Our Pablo rehabilitation and recovery efforts through our Building Back Better Movement gained significant strides. Debris had been cleared andr utilized. Housing units were turned over to affected families while some are still ongoing construction. Health facilities were rehabilitated and some new ones constructed and established. More than 500 new school buildings were constructed and provided. Damaged infrastructures were repaired. Communication and power connections were fully restored. Livelihood programs were also provided to help affected families earn incomes. For these areas, the hot chili industry development is gaining grounds assisting more than 1,000 farmers and eleven new enterprises. Other livelihood projects being assisted are bamboo craft, driftwood processing, coco beads making, food processing, rice and corn production. Groundworks are being done for the development of the oil palm industry,” says Governor Malanyaon.
CHAMPION PROVINCE
Excellence is the philosophy and driving force of Governor Malanyaon’s leadership as her administration always seeks, aspires for, bathes in and promotes excellence all the time, everywhere. The governor earlier says her administration strives to recognize and reward excellence among provincial government employees, stressing that “Excellence in our chosen work, vocation or career brings us self-confidence and self-assurance. Excellence is our source of self-dignity, self-worth and self-fulfillment.”
Under her watch, the province received numerous highly prestigious awards and accolades from the national government agencies, among them for being the best prepared province in disaster preparation and exemplary performance of the local government in the advancement of the people’s welfare, improvement in the economy and preservation of environmental integrity. In conferring the Gawad Pamana ng Lahi award to her, The Department of Interior and Local Government says: “Her (Governor Malanyaon) leadership is the kind best described by the late DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo as ‘mahusay at matino.’ Hindi lahat ng mahusay aymatino at hindilahat ng matino ay mahusay. Angkailanganponatin ay yongmahusay at matino.” “Just recently, Davao Oriental was again hailed as Regional Champion for Gawad Saka Award for exhibiting excellence in agriculture and garnering individual awards for 8 out of 18 categories. No mean feat for a calamity-stricken province recovering from extensive agricultural loss. Notably we have retained our primacy in agriculture for the past four years. I am also pleased to report that for the fifth consecutive year, Davao Oriental was conferred the Gawad Kalasag Award for being the region’s Best Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. Our experience with Pablo put into test our preparedness, the quick response mechanisms and systematic coordinative structures which made possible the fast recovery and rehabilitation efforts done,” says the governor.
LAST TWO YEARS
During her State of the Province Address on July 1, the governor vows to spend the last two years of her term by pushing even harder for her development programs especially for the poor.
“We are now at the last two years stretch of our development game. We have to set strategies and priorities to win this game. So let me lay down to you our priorities for the next crucial years before the end of my term.
Rehabilitation and development is top priority. We have to continue and to the extent possible complete the rehabilitation program for the three Pablo-affected municipalities of Boston, Baganga and Cateel. This will involve continuation of the housing and resettlement projects, infrastructure development and more livelihood projects both short and long term. On agricultural productivity, under our flagship program Pagkain At Kita, we will strengthen projects for strategic crops such as cacao intercropping, rice sufficiency project, corn propagation, hot chili propagation and oil palm plantation. We will continue our support to livestock raising as well as marine and aquaculture. Within the next two years, weintend to work on our fishport project to support our fishing industry. On infrastructure, we will ensure the procurement of new infra support equipment to supplement the old ones as we endeavour to mobilize these equipment for the extensive repair and rehabilitation of all provincial, municipal and barangay roads. We need to provide road access or connections to production areas and tourism sites. We also need to attract more investments in manufacturing industry. In particular, we should encourage value-adding and processing of our agriculture, fishery and tourism products and services to create more jobs, increase the income-generating capacities of the locals and generate revenues for the local economy. Along this line, we shall extensively promote opportunities for investments to include other ancillary support such as renewable energy, logistics and allied services. I then urge our Sangguniang Panlalawigan to fast-track the legislation of our Revised Davao Oriental Investment Incentives Code. I understand, the draft of the revised Code is already finished and still under review. For some of our municipal local government units who have not yet crafted their respective local investment incentives code, I enjoin you to do the same. In the same vein, we also have to be one in adopting the streamlined Business Process and Licensing System for all of our LGUs to facilitate ease of registration of start-up and existing businesses. As local government units, it is our responsibility to create a business-friendly environment of course without compromising basic rules and regulations. On Local Governance, the provincial government shall sustain its efforts to improve systems and mechanisms and adopt best practices for better services which are more responsive to the needs of its constituents. Being consistently conferred with the Seal of Local Good Governance will be our measure. Again, this should also be a priority for all of our city and municipal local government units. Likewise, I strongly enjoin all LGUs to continuously revisit and update your respective Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP). This is a necessity in the context of hazards, disasters and the phenomenon of climate change that affects our safety, property and livelihood. Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change Adaptation Program will remain to be a priority of the Provincial Government. We need to be constantly prepared for any occurrence of disaster as this seemed to be the “new normal”. We have to level up our mitigating and response measures. On peace and security, we shall continue our efforts with the strong support of the Philippine Army to sustain development and ensure that everyone will be part of Davao Oriental’s growth.” (FERDINAND ZUASOLA DavOr)
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