96
THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
Building on a strong foundation for a better future
THIS past year has been signi� cant to our city for many reasons.
� e initiatives we have undertaken to achieve our goals and the unexpected loss of Naga’s favorite son, Secretary Jesse M. Robredo, have � lled our consciousness. Yet, in spite of what we have gone through, we have come out stronger as a people and as a city.
Needless to say, we in your City Government have sworn even more to carry on the trail-blazing examples of good governance Naga has been known for. With the eyes of the Fili-pino people on our city, it falls on our shoulders to prove, without necessarily trying, that Naga continues to be a symbol of hope that indeed, we have a bright future in store for us. As the good Secretary once said, “Good local governance can be the conclusion of our un-� nished revolution.”
� is conviction and belief that the solution lies in e� ective local governance, is central to our dreams of a city poised for even greater things. Despite the many obstacles that have come across our path, we have remained � rm in the mandate given to us by you, our fel-low Nagueños, almost three years ago. It is because of your overwhelming support that we continue to march on, con� dent that we will achieve what we have set out to do.
Looking back, Naga has transformed itself into a better place indeed, a truly Maogmang Lugar, because of the strong commitment of its people in safe-
guarding the ideals of good governance espoused by the city’s leadership.
Rest assured that as you join your City Government tread the path to progress and climb, together, the proverbial ladder of success, the unwavering dedication of your public servants working as a team will continue to bring happiness in the life of every Nagueño.
Looking back has indeed helped us build on an already � rm and solid foundation to surge forward.
JOHN G. BONGATCity Mayor
foundation to surge forward.foundation to surge forward.
JOHN G. BONGATCity MayorCity Mayor
Brimming with confi dence in 2013
Bongat reports to the People: Getti ng There
Solo Parents face bright future in Legacion Ordinance
The 10th Sangguniang Panlungsod
Leni Robredo: The People’s Rallying Symbol for Change
Operati on Smile: The Journey Home
Bongat creates natural waterways and fl ood miti gati on bodies
Naga is best city (G2C) in fi rst e-Gov Awards
2012 Top Taxpayers
This magazine is published by the City Government of Naga
thru the City Publicati ons andExternal Relati ons Offi ce,
with editorial offi ce at G/F, PESO-DOLE Building,
City Hall Compound,J. Miranda Avenue, Naga City 4400
Philippines
Tel: +63 54 473-4432Fax: +63 54 472-3235
Email: [email protected]
A Quarterly Magazine of theCity Government of Naga
Bicol, Philippines
ISSN 2094-9383
JOHN G. BONGATCity Mayor
GABRIEL H. BORDADO, JR.City Vice Mayor
ALEC FRANCIS A. SANTOSEditor
JASON B. NEOLAManaging Editor
GERALD O. ENGUEROWriter
ANSELMO B. MAÑORUSTOM R. PUJADO
RAFAEL RACSO V. VITANVIRGILIO ANTONIO B. MARAVILLA
KENJIE F. CUARTOLayout and Design
RANDYVIC C. VILLAFLORJOSE V. COLLERA
Photographers
FLORENCIO T. MONGOSO, JR. CSEEREUEL M. OLIVER
ALLEN L. REONDANGAPAUL JOHN F. BARROSA
Editorial Consultants
LUDIVINA V. ASENCEALFRED A. CECILIOFREDDIE B. LOPEZEditorial Assistants
CECILIA A. AMPARADOCirculati on
1
32
49
65
67
H I G H L I G H T S
Vol. 3, Nos. 3 & 4 | July – December 2012
8
63
4
insidebackcover
NEW
SPRO
FILE
S
Bongat reports to the people: Getti ng thereSolo Parents face bright future in Legacion ordinanceEOs to boost Naga’s business-friendly atmosphereNew Naga City College mulledDog show highlights World Rabies DayFor bett er services: City Hall offi ces rati onalizedNew Liga President bats for barangay-oriented ordinancesBIR-Bicol surpasses target, Naga tops collecti on performanceFootball craze hits NagaBongat, Sergio lead PWDs’ event in SMNaga City is surprise Freedom Project 2012 winnerDe La Salle University launches Jesse M. Robredo Insti tute of GovernanceChurch, civic leaders ensure solemn, safe Peñafrancia FiestaBongat creates natural waterways and fl ood miti gati on bodiesNaga is best city in 1st e-Gov awardsBongat calls for stronger tourism ti esFirst of its kind: Constructi on of Waste-to-Energy plant starts in NagaNaga celebrates Kamundagan Festi val’s 20th yearNaga City Breastf eeding Center opens; 650 volunteers trainedNaga nutriti on awardees namedNaga City joins Populati on and Development Week Celebrati onNaga marks Clean Air Month through informati on driveJoint eff orts make Undas in Naga peacefulNaga wins 8 more awards in 2012
The “Naga SMILES to the World” logo is composed of the two baybayin characters, na and ga.
Na, shaped like a mountain, provides a strong foundati on for the Narra tree which grew abundantly along the Naga River while a zigzag line denotes the majesti c Malabsay Falls.
Ga, shaped like a farmer’s plow, is symbolic of the Nagueño’s agricultural roots and hardworking personality.
The baybayin Naga characters rest on a wave-like element which represents the Naga River and the serpent, which is read in Sanskrit as naga.
This new branding for Naga, launched in 2010 by the dynamic Bongat administrati on, envisions a more livable city that is world-class.
4
17
13
51
9
38
21
8
37
22
14
77
10
39
56
8179
84
88
25
83
24
87
65
767167
Hon. Cecilia “Nene” V. De AsisHon. Ma. Elizabeth “Babet” Q. LavadiaHon. Joaquin “Doc Chito“ F. Perez, Jr.
FEAT
URES
Q&A with Mayor John Bongat: Brimming with confi dence in 2013Greg Abonal: From maogmang lugar to Maogmang Lugar Elmer S. Baldemoro: A Higher CallingAtt y. Miles Raquid-Arroyo: Champion of the PoorThe John Bongat I KnowAs I See It: H2ELP your CiTyThe 10th Sanggunian: Enhancing a traditi on of acti ve citi zen engagement Hon. Gabriel H. Bordado, Jr.: Sacrifi cing for the common goodThe Shining Moments of Att y. Nelson S. Legacion: Lawyer of the People, Legislator for the People Att y. Leni Robredo: The People’s Rallying Symbol for ChangeSolidarity Message of Mayor John G. Bongat during the launch of the DLSU Jesse M. Robredo Insti tute of GovernanceMessage of Mayor John G. Bongat during the civic recepti on for Archbishop Rolando Octavus Joven Tria Tirona Sangguniang Panlungsod Resoluti on: The Beloved Honorary Nagueño Operati on Smile: The Journey HomeSec. Robredo: Up close and personalPilimania: Achieving a rosy economy for a greener NagaBicol Science and Technology Centrum: Where Educati on and Tourism BlendRediscovering the lowly kalunggay and baligang
2012 Top Taxpayers
The An Maogmang Lugar logo is an att empt to capture Naga as we want her to be–a city that is progressive and yet environment-friendly, where the people freely parti cipate in the day-to-day aff airs of the government, and where culture and arts are fl ourishing.
The stylized design of “NAGA” represents the city’s aggressive march towards modernizati on and progress. The sky-blue background, the Narra tree, and the Naga River represent our people’s desire for an ecologically-balanced community.
The ring of people surrounding the enti re design shows the Nagueños’ parti cipatory mechanism which is part and parcel of the city’s way of doing things. It also shows the people’s concern and unity in everything that is good for the city.
Today, the city, as Maogmang Lugar, aims to portray more than a happy place but a happy people who are the true benefi ciaries of everything good that is happening in the city.
11
3230
18
40
1
6163
59
42
15
68
85
7573
26
5249
41
4344
Hon. Ray-An Cydrick G. RentoyHon. David Casper Nathan A. SergioHon. Jose “Seling“ A. Tuason
insidebackcover
WITH a new year upon us, staff of the Naga SMILES
Magazine sat down with Mayor John G. Bongat to ask him what is in store for Naga in 2013:
Brimming with confidence in 2013
Naga SMILES Magazine (NSM): You always look upbeat, Mayor. Would that hold true as you face reelection for the fi rst time by May?Mayor John Bongat (MJB): My outlook for our city remains very optimistic. The Sangguniang Panlungsod, under the leadership of Vice Mayor Gabby Bordado, has overwhelmingly approved our proposed executive budget amounting to Php706 million, which is around Php66 million or 10% higher than last year’s budget of Php640 million.
For comparison, in 2012 the approved city budget increased by Php31 million, or 5%, over the previous year. This solid fi nancial base gives me the confi dence that the city government will
deliver on our social contract with the people of Naga.NSM: What is this so-called “social contract”?MJB: Well, it is essentially the H2ELP Your CiTy Development Agenda that I and the other members of Team Naga offered to the people in 2010, immediately after we assumed offi ce, so that we will not lose sight of our vision and mission for Naga and for our fellow Nagueños.
When the electorate overwhelmingly gave our team a mandate to serve,
we essentially entered into a contract where the people put us back at City Hall in exchange for delivering the commitments we made in that agenda, which our team (Team Naga) set for ourselves
to achieve once we got elected.
One crucial difference this time is that last November, that agenda has been formally adopted as a city policy by the Sanggunian, with the approval of our 10-year Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) after convening and consulting the City Development with Council, which, by the way, is fully accessible through our city website.NSM: So, what can we look forward to from that agenda, at least for this year?
Mayor Bongat discusses serious economic matt ers with members of the city’s pro-acti ve business sector.
MJB: As I explained in my 2013 Budget Message, the central theme of what we intend to do this year is to continue funding and sustaining new and existing initiatives for the various areas in that agenda.
For instance, the health sector will focus on an integrated Health and Nutrition Development package built around a stronger coordination among the health agencies of the city government. The integration of all our health and nutrition initiatives
have been institutionalized in a program called IHaNDA (Integrated Health and Nutrition Development Approach) which mandates a cohesive, focused, cost-effective, collaborative health and nutrition development from the city down to the barangay level.
The housing sector, on the other hand, will see us investing in the “Kaantabay sa Kauswagan” as our primary secure tenure intervention. But at the same time, we shall count on stronger beneficiary-driven
program reflows to enhance spending for the incoming year. The elevation of the Urban Poor Affairs Office into a full-fledged department, now called the Housing and Settlements Development Office (HSDO), underscores the city’s strong resolve to promote access to affordable housing not only to the urban poor sector but also to our very own employees. On January 18 next year, we will be launching the Naga City Employees Housing in Del Rosario, in collaboration with the Pag-Ibig and the
Bicol Habitat for Humanity Foundation.
For education and its allied sector, we will implement locally mandated programs such as the QUEEN, “Sanggawadan” and “Iskolar kan Ciudad” through the Naga City School Board and the Education, Scholarships and Sports Office (ESSO).
In the economic front, we will work with the business and agriculture sectors in Naga to continue growing the local economy and facilitate the all-important task of job creation. Tourism will
also play a crucial role as we develop new ways to entice visitors. This will entail intensified marketing and promotion, as well as the development of existing and new attractions and tourism establishments.
To secure the peace, the solid partnership between the Public Safety Office, the Naga City Police Office and our network of community-based volunteers and other stakeholders is expected to continue delivering effective policing and further improve on the gains made during the
last two years.For the environment
sector, we will continue investing in the needed infrastructure that will not only promote economic growth but also enhance our position as one of the country’s most livable cities. The integrated Naga River Revitalization Project (iNRRP) is one ambitious project we are working on with donor agency Cities Development Initiative for Asia (CDIA), which prepared the pre-feasibility study under a USD315,000 grant from said
With 68 urban poor communities and counting, Naga puts a premium on affordable housing for its citizens.
2
agency.And for good governance,
all line and staff departments and units of the city government shall recommit themselves to sustaining, if not improving, the good governance traditions of the city - thereby shining on the legacy of the late DILG Secretary Robredo. In fact, because of our transparency initiatives, we were recently awarded by DILG and the National ICT Confederation of the Philippines as the best city in e-governance particularly in the area of enhanced government to customer relations through the use of ICT, particularly our reengineered and rebranded “Naga SMILES to the World” website which is the only LGU website included in the Top Ten Philippine government sites.NSM: How would the people know your administration is delivering on its commitments under the social contract?MJB: Two things. One, we will position the Local Project
Monitoring Committee (LPMC), together with its local and national partners, to assess whether the different departments and operating units of the city government are delivering on their respective commitments.
And secondly, to evaluate the effectiveness, effi ciency and responsiveness of our various initiatives, the Jesse M. Robredo Local Governance Institute (formerly the Naga City Governance Institute) will work with its partners in the academe, civil society and the international community to develop its capability and do serious program evaluation as part of its research function.NSM: Lastly, can the city raise the money required to fund this year’s budget?MJB: Oh, certainly. Our Local Finance Committee says we should be able to more than raise the required amount, with local revenues (amounting to Php367 million) accounting for at least 52% of the total. To begin with, we have
amassed a Php35 million surplus for 2012 which will be carried over to the next budget year 2013. This is a very conservative estimate and the way businesses are going in Naga we expect a windfall in business and realty taxes in 2013. I want to take this opportunity to thank the business sector and real property owners for paying their taxes promptly and correctly. Rest assured they’ll get their money’s worth, with a highly motivated Team Naga and performance-driven department heads and employees behind our success.
The balance of 48% will be sourced out from national government transfers, mainly the city’s share from the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA). This means that Naga, as usual, will again lead local government units in the Bicol Region bar none in terms of fi scal resilience and autonomy, indicated by a healthy 1:1 IRA dependency ratio, the lowest in the region.
The City is confi dent that the required funds for this year’s budget will be obtained because of booming business in Naga City.
3
STRESSING that Nagueños continue to have many reasons
to “smile” to the world, City Mayor John G. Bongat in his 2012 State of Our City Report delivered last Tuesday (July 17) during the Sangguniang Panglunsod’s regular session at the People’s Hall of the City Hall here declared that Naga “remains at the forefront of many good practices and innovations in local governance, especially when enabled and empowered by the fundamental principle of stakeholdership.”
He assured that “only by working together as a team, with every citizen pitching in his share, can the city build a happier Naga, a truly Maogmang Lugar.”
The city mayor made a report on the state of the city for the last two years since he assumed offi ce in 2010 by answering the question that he himself threw in. “Are we getting to where
Naga wants to go?”Mayor Bongat provided
the answer by summarizing his accomplishments through the development agenda, also known by its acronym “H2ELP your CiTy” that he fi rst outlined during the fi rst six months of his offi ce.
H2ELP your CiTy stands for the following target indicators: Health and Nutrition; Housing and the Urban Poor; Education, Arts, Culture and Sports Development; Livelihood, Employment and Human Development; Peace and Order and Public Safety; Cleanliness and Environment Protection; and Transparency, Accountability and Good Governance.
Health and Nutrition The city registered a 47%
reduction in infant deaths between 2011 and 2012 by reducing the infant mortality rate from 14.7 to 7.62 per 1,000 live births, compared
to Bicol’s regional average of 10.2. The same progress was also registered in under-fi ve mortality rate and maternal mortality rate ratio.
The city also registered gains in nutrition, its 4.8% rate of malnourished preschool children in 2009 to 2010 was further reduced to 4.6%, the lowest in the region whose under-fi ve average malnutrition rate is 16%. The mayor announced the upcoming establishment of the Naga City Center for Health Development and Nutrition that will house the fi rst ever Institute for Health Development and Nutrition Studies in the country.
Also noted is the number of mothers exclusively breastfeeding their children which shot up by 73%, from 1,774 in 2010 to 3,064 in 2011.
The mayor said that while the city offi cials had to contend with the fact that Naga suffered an unfortunate casualty due to
Bongat Reports to the People: Getting There
What’s up after two years (June 30, 2010 to June 30, 2012)
Editor’s Note: For the fi rst time, City Mayor John Bongat used “State of Our City Report” instead of “State of The City Report“ to underscore a governance style that is inclusive.
4
dengue, the situation could have been worse if City Hall did not declare a local “state of calamity” early on which therefore allowed the City Health Offi ce, in partnership with the Liga ng mga Barangay, to implement necessary containment and preventive measures against the dengue-carrying mosquitoes that have been plaguing all parts of the country.
Housing and the Urban Poor
The city has added 15 project sites to the Kaantabay sa Kauswagan (KsK) (a social housing program), raising to 68 the total number as of June 2012 from only 53 in 2010.
These new additions will benefi t some 453 urban poor families more who have been waitlisted by the Housing and Settlements Development Offi ce of City Hall, bringing the total number of benefi ciaries from 9,191 in 2011 to 9,375 on the fi rst semester of 2012.
Education, Arts, Culture and Sports Development
The city focused on effective education support programs, including the conversion of Sabang High School into the Naga City School of Arts and Trades and the strengthening of Alternative Learning System (ALS) to provide
second-chance learning to out-of-school youth. It also supported the schooling of 457 college students under Iskolar kan Ciudad, helped by a Php10M annual funding allocation.
The creation of the Arts, Culture and Tourism Offi ce (ACTO) has enhanced efforts to promote culture and arts. Under the CIDA-funded Local Governance Support Program, the city is currently doing cultural mapping aimed at enhancing awareness of local cultural heritage and as input to the promotion of heritage tours that will boost the city’s tourism efforts.
The city also established the fi rst-ever Naga City Art Gallery with local artists and created the “Harong
kan Literatura asin mga Tataramon Bikolnon” to promote the development of Bikol literature in its various forms and serve as a repository of all Bikol works, among others.
The city further put in place enhanced training programs for athletes, purchased more sports equipment, initiated more sports tournaments, and saw the full utilization of sports facilities, like the Metro Naga Sports Complex, Naga City Coliseum, and the Naga City Civic Center.
Livelihood, Employment and Human Development
Despite jitters in the global economy, the number of newly-registered enterprises in the city
PROMPT PROCESSING OF TCTs. FAST-TRACKED DEVELOPMENT OF BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE
IN URBAN POOR SITES. SELF-CONTAINED COMMUNITIES.
This calls for a decent house to live in for our people within happier, safer and more
peaceful communities
5
increased by 4%, from 907 in 2010 to 944 in 2011. New constructions improved by 12.6%, from 95 to 107 during the periods mentioned. The city is looking at 2012 to be an even better year, as indicated by the fact that during the first semester of this year alone, the city had already attained 86% of total investments relative to the 2011 level. The mayor sees the coming of new big-ticket investments, such as the setting up of the GMA TV Network regional headquarters for Bicol, a solar panel plant rising in Barangay Carolina, and several new hotels sprouting in strategic corners of the city. Tourist arrivals in the city, combined with Camarines Sur, as reported by DOT increased by 31.7%, from 1.9 million in 2010 to 2.5 million in 2011.
On employment, the city government’s employment facilitation services registered a 38% increase in the number of workers placed, from 2,768 in 2010 to 3,825 in 2011, and an even higher 92% increase in foreign placements, from 79 to 152, including those hired by an Australian
firm involved in livestock butchering.
Peace and Order and Public Safety
Crime volume went down by 21%, from 723 in the first semester of 2011 to only 523 during the same period in 2012. During the same period, cases of theft went down by 22%, from 277 to 216, robbery by 32%, from 110 to 75. Riding in tandem theft plummeted by 71%, from 28 to only 8. Crime solution efficiency (CSE) doubly improved by
33% between 2011 and 2012. From January to June 2011 when the police solved 227 of the 723 crimes committed or a CSE of 30%, it rose to 63% when it solved 352 of the 573 crimes committed during the first semester of 2012.
Cleanliness and Environment Protection
Under ‘Clean Air,’ the city conducted intensified drives against smoke-belching and regular air quality monitoring. Under ‘Clean Water,’ the city completed the CDIA-funded pre-feasibility study for the integrated Naga River
The mayor cracks a joke in one of the barangay tanod enhancement seminars, conducted regularly in collaboration with the NCPO Police Community Relations division, in a serious effort to engage barangays in the peace and order initiatives of the city government.
6
Revitalization Project (iNRRP), which drew up a Php2.2B package to carry out the project. Already, the city has secured Php20M to fund the Naga River transport system from the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) of the DILG, the grant given to the city for earning the Seal of Good Housekeeping, and Php27M from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) for the fi rst phase in a series of allocations for fl ood protection.
The city hall, out of local funds, had completed a total of Php63.7M worth of infrastructure projects in 2011, another Php9.7M in the fi rst half of 2012, and had bidded out another Php34.8M for the remaining part of the year. This Php110M infra package includes two major storm drainage projects, from Sta. Cruz to San Francisco and along Mayon Avenue, plus several million pesos more for smaller drainage lines across the city.
On ‘clean surroundings,’ the city upped garbage collection from 58.3 metric tons/day during the fi rst semester of 2011 to 70.3 metric tons/day this year, or an increase of 20%. This came after the city acquired more garbage trucks and introduced railroad-based garbage collection. The higher garbage collection puts the city in better position to meet the daily requirements of
the CJ Global (Green Energy) Waste-to-Energy facility when it fi nally operates two years from now.
Transparency, Accountability and Good Governance
The city has kept the momentum in ensuring that Naga sustains its reputation and tradition for good governance as shown by the following recognitions received during the period: Seal of Good Housekeeping for Local Governments by DILG in recognition of Naga’s exemplary performance in internal housekeeping for CY 2011 in Good Planning, Sound Fiscal Management, Transparency and Accountability, and Valuing Performance Management, earning for the city a Php20M
grant; Award of Excellence, in recognition of unparalleled leadership, dedication and service in Health Emergency Management Services being the fi rst to establish an Inter-Agency Communication Center, given by the DOH during the 2nd Salud Bikolnon Awards in Legazpi City; “Dugong Bicol” award, LGU category, for its initiative to promote and uphold the National Voluntary Blood Service Program given by the DOH; two consecutive Outstanding Local Project Monitoring Committee Awards for 2010 and 2011 given by the Regional Project Monitoring Committee (RPMC) of the Bicol Regional Development Council; and more. Development Council; and
(Bicol Mail-July 19, 2012)(
7
THE Sangguniang Panlungsod passed recently the Solo
Parents Ordinance of Naga giving special privileges to solo parents and their children in consonance with Republic Act (RA) 8972 or the Solo Parents Act of 2000.
The ordinance, authored by City Councilors Nelson Legacion and Raoul Rosales, aims to assist single parents, especially those who are burdened with economic diffi culty, in raising their children.
Legacion and Rosales foresee a substantial number of solo parents in Naga City in the coming years, thus the need for a decree that will respond to their need for economic security, among others.
Aside from the stipulated and declared policy of the State pursuant to Section 2 of RA 8972, the Sangguniang Panlungsod of this city will provide funds to fi nance projects such as livelihood assistance, guidance counseling and critical stress debriefi ng and other related endeavors.
schoolchildren in Naga City will have access to quality public elementary and secondary education.
This is also aligned with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) commitment of the country by 2015, which specifi cally pushes for easy access of children to primary education.
Aside from educational assistance, the ordinance aims to assist in the housing needs of solo parents and their children, as well as provide death or burial assistance, medical assistance and other privileges and benefi ts that the city is currently giving or may subsequently offer.
A Solo Parents Offi ce under the direct supervision of the City Social Welfare and Development Offi ce shall be created to specifi cally coordinate with other agencies of the local and national governments to ensure the effective delivery of services to the sector. (with excerpts from PNA)
To ensure that children of solo parents can still avail themselves of quality education, the ordinance also grants Tertiary Scholarship assistance, subject to the accomplishment of the requirements provided under City Ordinance 2010-063. This allows an allocation of 15 percent of the scholarship slots to the children of solo parents.
Under the Basic Educational Services of the City, the ordinance also gives priority to children of solo parents to be covered by the city’s Sanggawadan Program─which allows less-privileged students to receive free rice allocation and school supplies from the City Social Welfare and Development Offi ce to keep them in school.
Solo parents under the ordinance will also automatically become members of the city’s Quality Universal Education Empowerment in Naga, popularly known as the QUEEN Program, which aims to ensure that all
SOLO PARENTS face bright future inLegacion Ordinance
Solo Parents Ordinance Passed
8
EOs to boost Naga’s business-friendly atmosphere
MAYOR John Bongat issued on July 27 Executive Orders
2012-016 and 2012-017 with a view to reduce bureaucratic red tape in the delivery of services to constituents and to make such services more effi cient and graft-free.
The twin orders are expected to pave the way for enhanced business registration procedures and effective operations by deploying a combined team to inspect business enterprises operating in the city, even prior to the year of renewal of existing businesses.
In issuing EO 2012-16, Bongat cited the lack of personnel and coordination
and the conduct of separate and uncoordinated inspections by different regulatory offi ces involved in the regulation of business establishments that “unduly cause delay in the processing/renewal of business permits/licenses.”
He observed that “such delays do not only create an unfriendly environment for business operators but show an unsystematic and ineffi cient delivery of service” on the part of the government which therefore opens opportunities for graft and corruption.
The measure addresses such concerns by constituting a joint inspection team that will facilitate interaction
and cooperation by the various inspection offi ces (from national government agencies and city hall offi ces), allowing them to accomplish all inspection requirements in a single moment prior to January of every year, thereby making the process faster and more effi cient.
EO 2012-017 institutionalizes and strengthens the city’s Business One-Stop Shop (BOSS), which is among the leading strategies being pursued by the city government since 1997. It seeks to shorten, simplify and create a business-friendly permit processing by the local government unit which raises the satisfaction level of the applicants.
The BOSS is an arrangement where all concerned agencies or offi ces involved in processing and issuance of business permits and licenses are organized in a single venue to receive and process applications for business registration thru a streamlined system, reducing the steps in the processing of new business permits and renewing those of existing establishments.
The BOSS runs for one month, starting from the fi rst working day of January and ending on the 31st. It opens at exactly 8 AM and ends at 7 PM, from Monday to Saturday, but normally extends beyond 7 PM to accommodate the last waiting clients of the day. (with excerpts from Bicol Mail)
Mayor Bongat addresses a group of local businessmen during one of many regular meeti ngs held between the city government and the business sector.
9
to residents of or visitors to the City of Naga and other qualifi ed student applicants at minimal tuition fees and charges.
The same executive order also constituted an Interim Board of Trustees comprised of the City Mayor as chairman, with the SP chairmen on education and appropriations, and heads of the City Education, Scholarships and Sports Offi ce, City PESO, City Health Offi ce, Naga City Governance Institute, TESDA provincial offi ce, CHED regional offi ce, and presidents of the faculty and the Student Government Organization, as members.
The City Health Offi cer has been tasked to act as ex-offi cio president of the college considering that the main course to be offered is Midwifery and the extension classes and practicum will be held in the barangays, to complement existing health and nutrition programs for married, pregnant women and/or mothers, and their babies/children.
The interim Board, among others, will recommend appropriations for the support of operation and maintenance of the college, provide scholarships to deserving students, give tuition fee discounts to children of employees and faculty members, and to such other cases as may
CITY Mayor John G. Bongat last June 25 issued Executive
Order No. 2012-015 which manifested the city’s intention to convert the present Camarines Sur Community College into the Naga City Community College with its interim new Board of Trustees.
Stressing that without doubt education is a vital tool in emancipating the underprivileged sector of society from the bondage of poverty, the said executive order believes that establishment of a local college or local institution of higher learning will defi nitely transform deserving students to acquire the desired competitive work knowledge, skills and values which are essential in their progressive living as individuals and members of society.
The mayor therefore declared that the existing Camarines Sur Community College, situated within the Camarines Sur National High School campus which offers midwifery course, be converted into a fully maintained and managed community college of the city government that will provide quality, accessible, and affordable tertiary education, technical-vocational and diploma, certifi cate, degree or non-degree programs/courses
be provided by ordinance, authorize construction or repair of college buildings, machineries and equipment and other facilities, and authorize the purchase and acquisition of real and other properties including necessary supplies and equipment in accordance with existing rules and regulations.
The Board is also expected to develop consortia and other forms of linkages with the academe, as well as national and local government units, institutions and agencies, and such other institutions in the pursuit of the purposes and objectives of the college.
Initially, the college will offer the following programs/courses: Diploma in Midwifery and Certifi cates in Automotive Mechanic, Welding, Slaughtering, Local Governance Best Practices; and New Enterprise Planning/Personal Entrepreneurial Development.
An initial amount of Php500,000 will be allotted for the initial operation of the college under the city government chargeable against the Special Education Fund and Economic Development Fund of the city. (Bicol Mail - July 12, 2012)
by Gerald O. Enguero
New Naga City College mulled
10
GREG Abonal is the only other lay teacher cited in the
2000 Ramon Magsaysay Award profi le of the late Naga City Mayor and Philippine Secretary of the Interior and Local Government Jesse M. Robredo. The profi le written by Lorna Kalaw-Tirol reads:
“. . . Robredo remembers his English teacher Greg Abonal for having taught him not only English but, more important, the art of living. How clearly Robredo recalls Abonal’s constant reminders: “the process is more important than what you learn;” “grades, while important, are not your life;” “faith is important, as is honesty, and exams are not only to test what you’ve learned, but to test your character as well.”
No wonder, the late City Mayor always wanted Greg Abonal among his working team in the local government in his beloved city,“An Maogmang Lugar.” Unable to entice his teacher to join the City Council, the mayor appointed Greg Abonal to key committees: the Peace and Order Council and the Advisory Committee of the School Board beginning 2007. Members of these committees all agree that Greg Abonal’s participation and contribution to these committees were productive and exceptional.
Having been part of the School Board, Greg Abonal sees many more prospects for the city government to assist the Department of Education in improving education in Naga. He sees
fi ne tuning of the current programs for education but is especially excited about a formation program for school administrators and teachers as foundation for any educational improvement.
Youngest brother to Councilor Esteban Abonal, Jr., Greg Abonal brings to the city both sterling qualifi cations and intentions in the fi eld of education.
He taught English at the Ateneo de Naga High School beginning in 1970. Among his earlier students were James Jacob, Ulan Sarmiento and Jesse Robredo. He was appointed Principal in 1978 but kept a teaching stint with now City Mayor John Bongat among his former students. After 14 years as principal, Greg Abonal left for further studies and
From maogmang lugar to Maogmang Lugar
by Jason B. Neola
GREG ABONAL
11
returned to teach in the Ateneo College. He was again appointed Principal in 2001 and was tasked to transfer the High School to a new campus in Barangay Pacol and especially to convert the all-boys high school to coeducation, admitting girls beginning in 2003.
He completes his 26th year as high school Principal this year, the longest in the Ateneo de Naga by anyone, Jesuit priest or layman.
The latter part of the 80’s called for his direct involvement in the affairs of local and national education. Even only as high school principal, he was elected President of the Caceres Educational Conference (Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte) and then of the Bicol Association of Catholic Schools. He went on to be nationally elected to the Board of Directors of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP), concurrently serving as Regional Director and Regional Coordinator for Bicol, positions normally reserved for school heads and university presidents.
Archbishop Leonardo Legaspi did not hesitate to name him Superintendent of Catholic Schools for Caceres eventhough he was only a lay person. Again he went further to be designated Regional Coordinator of the Superintendents of Bicol in the national
and especially in the School Administrators’ Program spanning over fi ve years, a course offered at Fordham University adapted for the Catholic school administrators of Asia and Oceania but eventually accommodated others from Europe and Africa. He also was the lone Filipino and one of three Asians in the 6th Oxford Conference on Literature Teaching Abroad.
In the Ateneo de Naga, Greg Abonal is known for being strict, as a teacher and especially as principal. He explains: “Strictness is not exclusive to Greg Abonal. All the principals before me were strict. All the principals after me will be strict. That is the culture of the Ateneo de Naga. In fact, that is the culture of all Jesuit schools, especially in the formative levels of basic education. Character formation for young people requires a caring environment of defi ned structures and structured procedures that young people must be guided through to adhere to and eventually adopt as their own. Excellence begins with high standards. High standards can be achieved only through discipline. Look, our young people here, our students, have been and will be happy about the school environment, climate, and culture. The Ateneo de Naga after all is the original an maogmang lugar.”
Superintendents’ Commission of the CEAP.
These achievements merited for him the Ateneo de Naga Golden Jubilee Outstanding Alumnus Award for Education in 1990. Shortly after that, he was elected to the Board of Trustees of the Ateneo de Naga University and served until February 2012, fulfi lling the maximum of four terms (12 years).
Other than his formal studies, Greg Abonal gathered a wealth of knowledge through seminars and workshops
Excellence begins with high standards. High standards can
be achieved only through discipline.
12
Aspin (Asong Pinoy) 2) Best Female Aspin and 3) Best Asong Pinoy.
Adjudged as Best Asong Pinoy was “Chiki,” owned by Rebecca Blacer of Naga City. The winners received cash prizes, sash, and plaques of recognition. All participating dogs
received a pack of dog food provided by Superman Kennel Petshop.
Dr. Rona Bernales, DA RFU 5 Animal Health Coordinator announced other activities that have been conducted in connection with the World Rabies Day during the whole month of September which
include: dog vaccination and dog population control through spaying
and neutering activities in Sorsogon City on September 4; in Daraga, Albay on
September 5; at the DA 5 grounds in Pili, Camarines Sur on September 6.
Dr. Bernales also added that a total of 18,144 heads of dogs were vaccinated with anti-rabies in the provinces of Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, and Sorsogon from January–July 2012. (Bicol Mail)
Camarines Sur on September 6.Dr. Bernales also added
that a total of 18,144 heads of dogs were vaccinated with anti-rabies in the provinces of Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, and Sorsogon from January–July 2012.
OVER 70 dog owners participated in the Fiesta Dog Show held at the STI Gymnasium here last Sept. 28, 2012,
in celebration of the 2012 World Rabies Day under the theme “Working together to make rabies history and responsible pet ownership.”
World Rabies Day is celebrated every year to highlight the impact of rabies on both human and animal health and to spread the word about rabies prevention and control worldwide.
This year’s event was sponsored by the Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with the Naga City Veterinary Offi ce, Mayon Kennel Club and Superman Kennel PetShop.
Naga City Mayor John Bongat commended the sponsors for the successful promotion of responsible dog ownership as evidenced by the active participation of pet owners in the city starting from the parade along Panganiban Drive up to the dog show event itself where over 70 dog owners registered for the different categories.
Dr. Florencio Adonay, Albay assistant provincial veterinarian who acted as one of the show veterinarians explained that the dog show is being conducted every September to promote responsible dog ownership and serve as a tool in rabies awareness and prevention program.
Cash prizes totalling Php35,000 were given away to 10 minor awards under the following categories: 1) Most Creative Costume 2) Cutest Costume 3) Best Dog & Partner Tandem 4) Most Gorgeous Dog 5) Prettiest Bitch 6) Scariest Dog 7) Most Special Dog 8)Most Gifted Dog 9) Best Couple of the Day 10) Darling of the Crowd; and 3 major prizes that include 1) Best Male
Dog show highlightsWorld Rabies Dayby Lovella Guarin
Dr. Junios Elad Jr., city veterinarian (left ), and show veterinarian Dr. Basilisa Joselle Losa (second from left ) award “Chiki” as the “Best Female Asong Pinoy in the City of Naga” during the 2012 Peñafrancia Dog Show. Photo also shows Ms. Rebecca Blacer, Chiki’s owner, and Dr. Florencio Adonay, Albay provincial veterinarian.
from January–July 2012.
received a pack of dog food provided by Superman Kennel Petshop.
5 Animal Health Coordinator
population control through spaying and neutering activities in Sorsogon
commended the sponsors for the successful promotion of responsible
13
WITH the end view of minimizing the time and maximizing
resources needed to deliver basic government services, Mayor John Bongat issued administrative orders directing the transfer of city hall offi ces to new locations in an effort to rationalize and enhance delivery of services, the latest of which was issued last December 2.
The city government deemed it fi t to relocate key offi ces with regular transactions closer to each other. The Budget Offi ce and the Accounting Offi ce, for instance, are now adjacent to each other beside the People’s Hall, reducing the time ordinarily needed to process papers. The Human Resource Management Offi ce will also relocate beside the Budget Offi ce to expedite personnel salary and benefi t processing every 15 days.
Offi ces providing basic services like the General Services Department, the Solid Waste Management Offi ce, and the Water Services Division have been transferred to the mezzanine of the newly renamed Jesse M. Robredo Coliseum in Central Business
District II, allowing for the improved interaction of said offi ces, as well as sharing of resources. A coordinator of these offi ces has been stationed at the Blue Room, 2nd fl oor, City Hall main building to process job orders for their services issued on a daily basis by the adjacent City Mayor’s Offi ce.
The offi ce of the Naga City Council for Women has also been relocated last November to the ground fl oor of the building housing the Bantay Familia offi ce, which the Persons with Disabilities Affairs Offi ce (PDAO) recently vacated. The PDAO has since transferred to the new Php5M building beside the Raul S. Roco Library Building, along J. Miranda
Avenue. The new PDAO offi ce (donated by Ako Bicol) was inaugurated along with the other relocated offi ces last December 14.
Meanwhile, a much bigger e-Skwela Center was also transferred to the Naga City Youth Center in line with the city government’s plans to fully utilize and transform it into a functional center by introducing facilities that cater to the youth like an internet café (donated by Bagong Henerasyon party-list) and youth organizations’ offi ces at the Youth Center Annex (donated by Bayan Muna and allied party-list groups), currently under construction, among many other innovations.
City Hall offices rationalizedFor Better Services
by Alec Santos
14
A Higher Calling
by Jason B. Neola
Elmer S Baldemoro:
SUSUKOLON ka base sa saimong hinaman.” You will be measured by what you have accomplished.
� is is one of the favorite quotes that Punong Barangay Elmer S. Baldemoro of Concepcion Grande remembers from the late Secretary of the Interior and Local Government and former Naga City Mayor Jesse M. Robredo. One of the frequent companions of the well-loved Secretary on his biking rides whenever the latter is in Naga City, Baldemoro was one of the few given the privilege of giving testament during the necrological services held last August 26, 2012 for Robredo.
By this standard of using actions, rather than rhetoric and promises, as a measure of one’s � tness for public service, Baldemoro stands out as a promising, dedicated public servant.
Punong Barangay Baldemoro is one of the youngest to serve one of the biggest barangays in Naga City, starting his political career as the topnotcher Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Kagawad in 1992, and later on was appointed as Barangay Secretary because of his impressive performance. Buoyed by a sterling track record as head of the barangay, he ran unopposed on his second term in
October 2010.He ramped a long list of achievements along
with members of the barangay council and the residents of Concepcion Grande, foremost among which is the recognition as National Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Program in 2010. � e award capped the barangay’s being recognized at the regional level for the Barangay Nutrition Council’s outstanding performance in 2009 and 2010.
Concepcion Grande, under his leadership, was also chosen as the Pilot Barangay in the testing of the Barangay Governance Performance Management System by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Alternative EducationBaldemoro is, however, most passionate about
education and accordingly, has aggressively pushed for the implementation of the Alternative Learning System (ALS) in his barangay. � e ALS is a free program implemented by the Department of Education (DepEd) under the Bureau of Alternative Learning System which bene� ts those who cannot a� ord formal schooling and follows whatever is their available schedule. It also provides
“
15
opportunities to Out-of-School Youth and Adult (OSYAs) elementary and secondary school drop-outs to � nish their schooling.
Baldemoro spearheaded the construction of a facility where ALS session would be conducted and even allocated funds for the purchase of an air-conditioning unit so that classes being held there would go on comfortably. For this, the barangay learning center earned the distinction as “� e City’s Most Functional Community Learning Center.”
Not content with this, PB Baldemoro initiated the allocation of funds to provide the barangay’s Instructional Manager with monthly stipend, recruited more enrolees for the program and added livelihood training such as sewing, charcoal-making and cra� ing of trinkets to the ALS menu of instructional modules. One of those who have been drawn into the program is a 68-year-old woman, who has been inspired to complete studies which have been interrupted before.
By putting up two additional ALS Learning Centers in two of the barangay’s zones, he has made the program accessible to more people thus opening up more opportunities for his constituents.
Believing that the opportunity to pursue education further should also be extended to the less fortunate, he o� ered scholarship grants to ALS passers and graduates, especially those who wished to pursue a college degree
Local awardsIt is no wonder that Concepcion Grande has
been reaping recognition under his watch. At city level, the barangay is a Hall of Fame winner for Most Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Council in 2011, a� er consistent performance in the category (Outstanding Nutrition Council in 2009 and 2010) and Model Breastfeeding Barangay (also in 2010). In 2008, the barangay was awarded Most Child-Friendly/Model Barangay for Child-Friendly Evaluation.
� e residents of Concepcion Grande are also proud to have a fully equipped and airconditioned Educare classroom aside from a gym that is able to host large gatherings including the most recent synchronized barangay assembly which gives local leaders a chance to connect with their constituents.
It is also the � rst barangay in the city and probably even in the country to have Junior Barangay O� cials, giving aspiring young leaders a chance to hone their skills.
Consistent with e� orts to cut down on red tape and promote an e� cient bureaucracy, Concepcion Grande is the � rst and only barangay in the city to have a Barangay Information Management System and implement a “No Lunch Break” policy.
A graduate of BS Accountancy at the University of Nueva Caceres, Baldemoro is married to Marie-Ann Barrios Baldemoro and is a father to
a son, Elmer Matteo, who is barely two years old. Aside from his duties as chairman of the barangay, Baldemoro is also Internal Vice President of the local chapter of the Liga ng mga Barangay.
From these achievements, PB Baldemoro looks ready to accept new challenges and make new achievements in even bigger arenas of service. If a public servant is best gauged by what he has actually accomplished, Baldemoro indeed measures up well, as opportunity knocks; calling on him to serve the higher interests of his fellow Nagueños beyond the con� nes of Concepcion Grande.
If a public servant is best gauged by what he has ac-tually accomplished, Balde-moro indeed measures up
well, as opportunity knocks, calling on him to serve
the higher interests of his fellow Nagueños beyond
the confi nes of Concepcion
Grande.
Baldemoro in acti on in his barangay.
16
New Liga president bats for barangay-oriented ordinances
THE Liga ng mga Barangay is not only about Punong
Barangays. This was emphasized
by Tinago Punong Barangay Jose “Toti” Bonsol Importante as he seeks to correct the misleading impression that the group concerns itself solely with the leaders of Naga’s 27 barangays.
He said: “We should not forget that aside from the punong barangays there are also other barangay offi cials and volunteers who are members of the Liga: barangay kagawads,
secretaries and treasurers, SK, health and nutrition workers and service point offi cers, tanods, SFVs and the Lupon Tagapamayapa members.”
The 45-year old punong barangay added that it was for this reason that he is considering sponsoring an ordinance in the Sangguniang Panlungsod that seeks to improve the existing barangay personnel basic medical and hospitalization program, to name a few.
Importante was vice president of the Liga in this city until he took over
from Liga President Alex Nero, Punong Barangay of Liboton, who died on December 4.
The three-termer Punong Barangay is also mulling the crafting of a measure in the Sanggunian that would institutionalize the charters of barangays in Naga. Similar to the Naga City charter, which has been recognized nationally as an effective tool for transparency and accountability, the barangay charter will serve as a social contract between the barangay and its constituents for the effi cient delivery of basic services by the barangay government.
Importante also serves as Mayor John Bongat’s co-chairman in the multi-sector Naga City Dangerous Drugs Board (NCDDB) which is presently in the thick of conducting assessments and reviews of the anti-drug campaign of the city government.
‘Kap Toti’
17
ATTY. Mila “Miles” Raquid-Arroyo has been active in
advocacy circles for most of her life. Immersing herself in causes that involve those in the marginalized sectors of society. A lawyer by profession, she believes that the practice of law should also be used to benefi t the poor and she has used her skills to promote their interests.
Her talents have been evident since her youth, garnering honors during her elementary and high school years. Later, when she was elected to the city council, her solid work ethics marked her as a legislator
of calibre, taking up chairmanships in important committees and producing quality legislative measures.
EducationAfter fi nishing elementary
as valedictorian at the Baliuag Nuevo Elementary School in Minalabac, Camarines Sur, she completed high school at the Sacred Heart College, Lucena City in 1981, just a few months after the People Power Revolution.
“Atty. Miles” is an alumna of the Ateneo de Naga, where she fi nished her Liberal Arts/Commerce (LiACom) course, graduating
cum laude in 1986.She then continued her
studies in Manila, pursuing law with diligence and determination. She was Dean’s Lister at the Ateneo de Manila where she earned a professional doctorate juris Doctor in 1991.
As a student, she already earned recognition for her achievements. She was named as one of the Three Outstanding Students of Naga City in 1983, an award which was a precursor to another prestigious award 12 years later in 1995 when she was conferred one of the Outstanding Young Women of the city.
Att y. Miles Raquid-Arroyo (middle) and the Government Watch (G-Watch) team of Naga receive a plaque from the late DILG Secretary Jesse M. Robredo for the city’s role as a pilot area for the DILG-EU (European Union) project monitoring project, implemented thru the Ateneo de Manila University School of Government (ASOG). With her are city government offi cials and sectoral representati ves from the Naga City People’s Council.
by Jason B. Neola
Atty. Mila “Miles” Raquid-Arroyo Champion of the poor
18
NGO workAfter her studies, she
soon found herself swept up by the fervor following the peaceful EDSA People Power in 1986. A Jesuit volunteer, she was assigned to the LAKAS NG SAMBAYANAN, the umbrella organization of cause-oriented groups BAYAN and BANDILA, which were formed immediately following the EDSA 1 Revolution.
She was also coordinator for ADVOCATE, a non-government organization, then chaired by Ms. Karen Tañada, dedicated to legislative advocacy for changes in policies affecting the marginalized sectors of society.
She soon became active in bodies that were focused on the plight of the Urban Poor, starting off as Head of the Secretariat (1988-1990) of the Tri-sectoral Network for the Urban Poor (TSN). TSN was a network of NGOs, people’s organizations and government agencies which coordinated efforts and services for the urban poor sector. This later became the Urban Land Reform Task Force (ULRTF) which lobbied for the passage of the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992. After working as Executive Assistant for the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP)
in 1989-1990, she was Director of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC). Miles served as Project Administrator of the National Government Center
Housing Project (NGCHP) based in Commonwealth, Quezon City.
In Naga City, her work with NGOs was soon to reach another level when she became one of the founding members of the Naga City People’s Council (NCPC), which was later to become popular as a trailblazing initiative. The NCPC was institutionalized with the passage of the
people empowerment ordinance (City Ordinance No. 95-092). Thus, she distinguished herself as a lawyer whose real concern was with people, and not just law.
Legislation Shortly after
her work with organizations that were closely behind the enactment of that ordinance, Miles joined the city council. This gave Miles the opportunity to see to it that landmark legislations were properly implemented. As a member of the city council, she was described as a champion of the labor sector and the urban poor as well as an outspoken fiscalizer.
In the Sangguniang Panlungsod, she headed committees on education, land use, people
empowerment and participation in local governance, urban poor, the Naga City Urban Development and Housing Board (CCUDHB) and the council’s representative to the People’s Law Enforcement Board (PLEB).
Her work as a lawyer also took her to the Sentro ng Alternatibong Lingap Panligal (Saligan), where she was coordinator for its Bicol
19
branch. Saligan is a resource center providing alternative legal services to marginalized sectors of society: peasants, laborers, small fi sherfolk, women and children with the end view of empowering them towards self-reliance.
At present, she is with the Tanggol Kalikasan, Inc., is a member of the faculty and bar reviewer with the University of Nueva Caceres, and a resource person on local governance of the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP). Miles is also a consultant for the Lingap para sa Kalusugan ng Sambayanan, Inc. (LIKAS), and is the chair of the Ateneo de Naga University Social Involvement Council.
Her involvement in social issues and concerns also fi nd expression in the Naga City-Camarines Sur Alliance
for Consumer Welfare and Protection (Consumers’ Action), where she is currently president.
Aside from this, she is also Vice Chairperson for the Camarines Sur Network of Development NGOs and POs, which pushes pro-people
the Philippines and the International Planned Parenthood Federation, East and South East Asia and Oceania Region both from 2005-2011; Member of the Christian Life Community (CLC), 1981 to present; Member, Alumni Association, Jesuit Volunteers
Phils., Inc. (JVP).Atty. Miles is also
the Naga City Chapter Coordinator of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines and is the chairperson of Abanse Pinay Party List; She was also a member of
the Camarines Sur NGO/PO Development Network (CADENET)from 1995-1998 and the NGO representative to the Philippine Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) and the Regional Development Council, 1995-1998.
As a member of the city council, she was described as a champion of the labor sector and the urban poor as well as
an outspoken fi scalizer.
Receiving the “25 Taon ng Natatanging Paglilingkod: Kaisa’t Kaagapay ng Maralitang Taga-Lungsod” Plaque of Recogni-ti on from the Presidenti al Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP) on the occasion of its 25th Founding Anniversary on December 9, 2011 at the Heroes Hall, Malacañang Palace.
interests in various fronts.Miles was also a member
of the Ateneo de Naga University Board of Trustees for a decade (2001-2011).
Her other community involvements include Council Membership of the International Executive Committee of the Family Planning Organization of
20
LEGAZPI CITY—The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Regional
Offi ce here collected Php460.455 million in taxes for July, surpassing its collection goal of Php409.380 million by more than Php51 million or 12.48 percent.
BIR Bicol has collected, as of July 31, Php3.17 billion, Php35.5 million or 1.13 percent more than the goal of Php3.13 billion for the period of seven months. The amount is also higher by Php551.27 million or 21.02 percent compared to the Php2.62 billion tax collected during the same period last year.
Esmeralda Tabule, BIR Bicol regional director, commended all revenue district offi cers in the region saying “almost all of them attained their respective collection targets for the month.”
Certifi cates of recognition were given to BIR district offi ce chiefs across the region for their good performance during the regular monthly staff conference at the BIR
BIR-Bicol surpasses target, Naga tops collection performanceby Marlon A. Loterte
regional offi ce here.Naga City topped the
collection performance with Php154.331 million, Php44.84 million or 40.96 percent more than the target collection of Php109.491 million.
Virac, Catanduanes placed second with Php24.72 million, Php3.8 million or 18.30 percent higher than the
target collection of Php20.901 million.
Masbate City landed in third place with a collection of Php33.36 million, exceeding its goal of Php30.306 million by more than Php3 million or 10.10 percent.
Other Bicol revenue offi ces that exceeded their targets are Sorsogon City, which collected Php43.82 million against a
target of Php39.889 million; Iriga City with a Php29.1 million collection versus a target of Php18.319 million; and, Daet, Camarines Norte, which collected Php39.28 million against a goal of Php38.725 million.
Tabule said she is continuously encouraging RDOs to sustain their
collection strategies and come up with more tax initiatives that may be applicable in their respective jurisdictions to sustain their good performance.
“We need these taxes to help the national government operate according to the development programs of the administration of
Pres. Benigno Aquino III that are focused on countryside development, poverty alleviation and effi cient delivery of basic services,” Tabule added. (Bicol Mail)
21
by Jason B. Neola
OTHER than swimming, basketball, gymnastics, taekwondo and arnis, Naga may soon build a name for itself in the
popular sport of football.The city government of Naga, under the
leadership of Mayor John Bongat, is serious in the promotion of the well-loved team sports among the youth through its sports development program.
Dubbed “Futbol for Healthy Skul”, the program aims to provide children and the youth with training and exposure on football thru the city’s Education, Sports and Scholarships Offi ce (ESSO) headed by Ernani Suron.
Forging strong partnership with the city government in this endeavor are the Football Federation of Naga City (FFNC), headed by Richard Canlas, the Department of Education (DepEd), thru the offi ce of City Superintendent Emma Cornejo, and the city’s 27 barangays.
City Sports Coordinator Francis Barja said the program encourages children and the youth, especially those enrolled in public schools and even out-of-school youth, to become football enthusiasts and players. The game is fast becoming a favorite ball game today, made popular in the country by the
Philippine Azkals, whose players have visited Naga in the past to promote the sport.
At least 8 elementary and secondary public schools in the city have been initially provided with football goals, nets and footballs from the city government.
These public schools are: Sabang High School (now renamed Naga City School of Arts and Trades), Sabang Elementary School, Concepcion Pequeña National High School, Carolina Elementary and High Schools, Pacol Elementary School, Leon Mercado High School and Sta. Cruz Elementary School.
“The city even hired professional football instructors and trainers to teach kids who
will eventually form the team which will be pitted in future athletic meets,
including the 2013 Palarong Bicol in Catanduanes,” Barja said.
The city government and its partners have launched this year the 1st Inter-Barangay Football (futsal)
Competition, the fi rst of its kind in the entire country.The city government’s initiative to
include football in its sports development program was further strengthened when Naga hosted last December 8-9, the 2nd National Futsal (indoor football) Championship at the Jesse M. Robredo Coliseum.
Football Craze Hits NAGA
“Futbol for Healthy Skul” kicks off
22
1. Calauag Elementary School
2. Camarines Sur National High School
3. Cararayan High School
4. Carolina Elementary School
5. Carolina High School
6. Concepcion Pequeña National High School
7. Jose Rizal Elementary School
8. Leon Mercado High School
9. Mabolo Elementary School
complete list of recipient schools
10. Morada Ramos Elementary School
11. Pacol Elementary School
12. RV Maramba Elementary School
13. Sabang Elementary School
14. Sabang High School (Naga City School of Arts and Trades)
15. Sta. Cruz Elementary School
16. Triangulo Elementary School
17. Villa Grande Elementary School
23
Bongat, Sergio lead PWDs’ event in SM
THE local government unit here “will remain receptive to the concerns
of persons with disabilities as in the past when it laid down the mechanisms that help provide the sector with the opportunity to achieve economic development.”
This was the gist of Mayor John Bongat’s message before a crowd of persons with disabilities (PWDs) as he gave emphasis on the local government’s effort in mainstreaming PWDs.
Speaking at the celebration of the 34th National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week last July 23, this year, at SM City Naga, Bongat said that the alliance between the city government and PWDs towards achieving a better life will elicit positive results because many of the physically-challenged individuals are “talented and hardworking.”
Bongat said 2% of the city’s economic development fund has been earmarked for programs and projects intended for PWDs whom City Councilor Nathan Sergio referred to as the most marginalized sector of society.
Sergio, a 2011 Filipino with Disability of the Year awardee, said the city government’s effort to create more opportunities for PWDs is highly consequential in this time of economic crisis when unemployment and underemployment are high.
Under Bongat’s administration, PWDs are encouraged to engage in various entrepreneurial undertakings thru the Barangay Growing Opportunities for Wealth (GrOW) Negosyo project, his centerpiece program on livelihood in the barangays.
The production of a database on vision-impaired
individuals is also one of the major undertakings under Mayor Bongat’s administration that aims to provide economic development for PWDs.
The purpose of [the] database, which contains evaluated and identifi ed skills, profi ciencies and capabilities of visually-challenged
individuals, is to serve as reference in providing employment to PWDs like
the Naga City Visually Impaired Association (NACIVIA) which is headed by Joseph Cultivo who was given the authority to run a therapeutic massage parlor in Plaza Rizal, here.
Sergio, who was in the forefront of setting up the Persons with Disabilities Affairs Offi ce (PDAO) years before the DILG issued a memorandum circular to LGUs for the establishment of the same in their respective areas, said the city government is also working with other public entities and non-government organizations to synergize and pursue undertakings for the benefi t and welfare of PWDs.
Engr. Christian Wesley Villanueva, SM City Naga mall manager, said, Sergio and SM City Naga were awarded by President Aquino the Disabled Filipino of the Year and Most Disabled-Friendly
Establishment, respectively, during the 26th Apolinario Mabini Awards held at Heroes Hall in Malacañang on October 24, last year (2011).
Villanueva said SM City Naga was given the award for its PWD-friendly pathways, parking areas, drinking fountains and many other facilities inside the mall which are exclusively for PWD use only. which are exclusively for
(Bicol Mail - August 2, 2012)Facade of the Php5M building housing the PDAO.
24
NAGA CITY’S trailblazing effort to mainstream migration issues in local development processes was chosen by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) as this year’s Freedom Project winner out of more than 20 entries from all over the
Philippines.Mayor John Bongat, who was supposed to receive the award but could not make it
due to prior local commitments, was represented by City Councilor Nathan Sergio and planning coordinator Wilfredo Prilles, Jr. at the awarding ceremonies dubbed “It’s All About Freedom!” Comelec Commissioner and former Isabela Gov. Grace Padaca handed over the award during the event held at Hotel H2O in Manila on December 5.
According to the foundation’s website, the Freedom Project “aims to recognize outstanding initiatives that promote, safeguard and maximize the benefi ts of freedom. It seeks to translate freedom from a mere concept to actual programs that infl uence how individuals perceive themselves in relation to their role in society.”
Winners of the inaugural Freedom Project award last year included the Enhanced Literacy Program of Tagum City, Davao del Norte; the Platform Human Development 2010 Project of the United Nations; Rep. Erin Tañada’s House Bill No. 3773; the Department of Finance’s Pera ng Bayan; and the Yellow Boat Project of the Philippine Funds for Little Kids.
Naga City’s innovative project led to the establishment of the City Advisory Committee on Overseas Filipinos ( CACOF) chaired by Councilor Sergio, a new local multisectoral body that assists the city government in establishing and maintaining a database of local overseas Filipinos, and providing guidance in the continuing effort to mainstream migration in local policymaking, program development, and project implementation.
The CACOF played a key role in crafting the city’s Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP), which the Sangguniang Panlungsod adopted on November 6. It counts among its members representatives from the Naga City People’s Council, DILG Naga, the Ateneo de Naga Social Science Research Council, the Camarines Sur Bankers Club, the Metro Naga Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the CBCP Counseling Center for Women and Children in Crisis. The regional directors of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and the Department of Foreign
Affairs (DFA) also sit in the committee.The Naga CDP is the fi rst local planning document
in the Philippines to feature enhanced migration data and a separate “Migration/Overseas Filipino” subsector, and incorporated priority projects and activities identifi ed by stakeholders in the city’s 10-year investment program.
Naga City Freedom Project 2012 winneris surprise
25
This story fi rst appeared in local newspapers in February 2010 before then Councilor John Bongat won as Mayor in the May 10, 2010 elections. This is being reprinted in this NSM issue for our readers to see for themselves whether Mayor John Bongat’s 2 ½ years in offi ce–June 30, 2010 to December 31, 2012–measure up to the writer’s expectations.
DURING the past few days, a lot of talks and speculations have fl ooded homes, street corners,
offi ces and coffeeshops since Atty. John Bongat was declared as the offi cial mayoral candidate of the Liberal Party in Naga City to fi ll the void to be left by outgoing multi-awarded City Mayor Jesse M. Robredo.
Despite all the talks about oligarchic politics and benchwarmers—especially after the forum at the Ateneo de Naga University—I believe that he can run City Hall on his own. Many people I have met trust his competence, integrity, independence of mind, and preparedness to effectively carry out the vital tasks as chief executive of Naga.
by Reuel M. Oliver
This story fi rst appeared in local newspapers in February 2010 before then Councilor John Bongat won as Mayor in the May 10, 2010 elections. This is being reprinted in this NSM issue for our readers to see for themselves whether Mayor John Bongat’s 2 ½ years in offi ce–June 30, 2010 to December 31, 2012–measure up
expectations.
URING the past few days, a lot of talks and speculations have fl ooded homes, street corners,
offi ces and coffeeshops since Atty. John Bongat was declared as the offi cial mayoral candidate of the Liberal Party in Naga City to fi ll the void to be left by outgoing multi-awarded City Mayor Jesse M.
Despite all the talks about oligarchic
benchwarmers—
Many people I have met trust his competence, integrity, independence of mind, and preparedness to effectively carry out the vital tasks as chief executive of Naga.
JOHN BONGATOHN BONGATThe
I knowknow
26
Speaking from my own experience, John is more than competent to deliver on his own initiatives.
I have known Atty. Bongat (I’ll call him John here) for quite a while. Married to Farah Rañola and blessed with a daughter, Jade Finnella, John was my classmate, is my lawyer and a colleague at city hall. I am writing this to inform fellow Nagueños what I know about him; and illustrate why he is fi t, as a person, to be Naga’s Mayor.
ClassmateJohn and I had been
classmates in the Naga Parochial School all the way to the Ateneo de Naga High School. After high school, ten of us from our batch studied at the Ateneo de Manila University. Of the ten, only two of us, John and I, came back to Naga to serve our beloved hometown.
John lost his father, the late Atty. Severo P. Bongat, Sr., when he was just three months in his mother’s womb. His father died in a tragic car accident, a few days before New Year while celebrating his appointment as Manager of the GSIS Southern Luzon Regional Offi ce, then based in Naga City. John’s mother, the late Gloria G. Felipe, also a GSIS employee, passed away when he was in third year college.
We, his friends, all knew John as an unassuming and humble person. Losing his parents at an early age did not
prevent him from becoming a lawyer like his father. All along, we also knew that he wanted to be a lawyer. That was why he took up Political Science at the Ateneo de Manila.
At the Loyola campus, there were lots of opportunities to prepare and ensure our bright future in terms of fi nancial or professional success by networking with the “big boys” there. But John, outside his studies, decided to focus on social works, mingling with and educating children in depressed areas in Quezon City. To him, that was the early embodiment of what the Ateneo inculcated in us─to be “Man for others.”
ProfessionalWe all went our
separate ways after college. John took up Law at the country’s premier state university, the University of the Philippines (UP) in Diliman. After passing the bar exams, he successfully practised his profession by joining two reputable law fi rms in Makati. Later, he was appointed Corporate Secretary and Assistant Vice
President of Megaworld Corp., one of the biggest real property fi rms in the country.
Continuing his passion for social works and service to those who have less in life, John served as the National Director for Legal Aid of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) by providing free legal assistance to poor clients and monitoring all of IBP’s legal assistance work in the country.
In 1998, he decided to come home to Naga. Here, he put up his own law offi ce that has fl ourished despite his spending a lot of time in public service as city councilor since 2001. In a short while, a matter of a few years, John’s lawyering has gained him a reputation as one of the respected and diligent lawyers in Naga and Camarines Sur.
John currently handles my cases. As his client, what impressed me most about him during our discussions is his motto as a lawyer that “The truth is the best
defense.” While he
country’s premier state university, the University of the Philippines (UP) in Diliman. After passing the bar exams, he successfully practised his profession by joining two reputable law fi rms in Makati. Later, he was appointed Corporate Secretary and Assistant Vice
him during our discussions is his motto as a lawyer that “The truth is the best
defense.” While he
27
could have played around with technicalities just to win his cases, he was steadfast in saying that the ends of justice can best be served by the truth.
Public ServantI went home to
permanently settle in Naga because of a family decision. But in the case of John, he came back, sacrifi cing in the process a lucrative career in Manila, for one reason. When I chanced upon him in downtown Naga sometime in 1998, I asked him why he decided to settle in Naga.
“I love Naga,” John quipped.I never really understood what he meant
by that, until I learned in 2001 that he was running as city councilor. In a casual conversation with him, John remarked that he could do something for Naga if he would be given the chance to serve as a city legislator, one who has a direct hand in crafting ordinances and helping make policies that will be benefi cial to Nagueños.
Atty. John Bongat, the consistent topnotcher councilor of Naga City, continues to perform an active and proactive role in the Sangguniang Panlungsod. Now on his third term (2001-2004; 2004-2007; 2007-2010), he is the principal author of a number of landmark ordinances particularly on peace and order, as well as trade and industry and governance, having served as Chairman of the SP Committee on Peace and Order (2001 to 2007) and the Committee on Trade and Industry (2001 to 2010), among others.
His being a consistent topnotcher councilor of Naga City is no mean feat. In the 2001 elections, he garnered the highest votes in 11 of the city’s 27 barangays; in 2004, he led in 26 of 27 barangays; and in 2007, he topped 27 of 27 barangays, leading the second-ranked councilor by almost 9,000 votes. But despite his phenomenal election
record, he has remained the same old “John” I have known since kindergarten.
In December 2007, he was elected Regional Chairman of the Philippine Councilors League─Bicol Chapter (for the term 2007-2010), and as such sits as member of the PCL National Board representing the Bicol Region.
It is his legal expertise that John brings to the fore as he takes the lead in institutionalizing, through novel legislation, people’s direct participation in crime prevention and control by creating and mobilizing neighborhood crimewatch groups known as the Bantay-Kataid (BANKAT) Ordinance. This paved the way for the organization of BANKAT Brigades with a mass-base of more than 2,000 volunteers in all the 27 barangays in the city.
He also authored, among other innovative legislative measures, Ordinance No. 2002-065, establishing the Life Improvement thru Friendly Education (L.I.F.E.) Counseling Center, aimed at providing confi dential counseling services to those indulging in drug use but are desirous of going back to a drug-free life. Aside from counselling, the Center also offers legal services for the rehabilitation particularly of youthful drug users.
John is a staunch advocate of a stronger local business sector as he works hard to nurture the city’s business-friendly environment. He caused the establishment
28
of the so-called Naga City Business Registry Databank that gave the private sector a larger role in business promotions. To protect small businesses, he co-authored Ordinance No. 2004-003, giving incentives to Barangay Micro-Business Enterprises as defi ned in Republic Act No. 9178.
To foster high ethical standards in public service, John penned Ordinance No. 2003-037. This prohibits the indiscriminate inscription or putting of politicians’ names on permanent structures or buildings in the city constructed using government funds.
Recently, he authored another landmark legislation (Ordinance No. 2008-092, otherwise known as the I-Serve or Naga City Privilege Card Ordinance) mandating the computerization of service delivery of all frontline services of the city government through the use of privilege cards issued to qualifi ed, needy constituents, aimed at not only expediting delivery of basic services, but at further enhancing the quality of such services and improving service transparency.
The ordinance institutionalized accurate monitoring of government expenses for such services and offi ce accountability as well. The I-Serve program will likewise facilitate the tracking of expenditures and disbursements, a vital tool in the formulation of a more responsive, people-oriented, development-focused budget. This he had accomplished as Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations of the Sanggunian.
Never lacking in brilliant ideas, John has indeed added more life to the city government’s passion for excellence in local governance and integrity in public service. Committed to the belief that listening is a mark of a true leader, he has come to be loved by people at the barangay (the very reason he topped the polls in all barangays during the 2007 elections). Despite his busy schedule, he has made it his business to regularly consult with barangay constituents, bringing the voice of even the lowly residents into city government decision-making.
John listens, he empathizes with the ordinary Nagueños. He mingles with them, and brings the government closer to them. “Ja-JOHN-an ta ka,” as he fondly announces with a promise of closely bonding with them to better understand their problems.
With his personal background and his untainted and outstanding track record, his resolve in and dedication to dynamic, clean, transparent and responsive governance, Naga City is assured of a new breed of leadership, honed by experience, in Atty. John Bongat.
As a top local legislator since 2001, John has shown his true mettle. As he loves to say, “Leadership is action, not position.” But beyond the position he holds and his actions, the John Bongat I have known—like what ordinary Nagueños whose hearts he has touched since 2001 have known—is a man with a vision, integrity, courage, understanding, the power of articulation and an unquestionable character.
John’s selfl ess dedication to the citizens of his beloved Naga speaks volumes of his steadfast love for the ordinary Nagueño. Truly, he is the leader who should lead Nagueños to new heights of progress and development. There can be no one more qualifi ed than the John Bongat I know.
John with wife, Farah, and only daughter Jade.
29
As i see it: H2ELP your CiTy
Health & Nutrition. He intends to provide more extensive health & nutrition services, upgraded facilities, and enhanced healthcare capabilities. I hope the Naga City Hospital will expand its services, increase the number of personnel, and its facilities improved in order to accommodate more poor patients from a fast-growing city.
Education, Arts, Culture & Sports Development. He talks on how to excel and make Naga as Bicol’s center of education, arts, history, culture, & sports development. I commend the city government for having the Naga City Science [High] School, and the Naga Sports Coliseum, and Naga City Civic Center. I also commend the Bongat administration for supporting the proliferation of arts and culture through groups like Salingoy Art Group and the like. I hope it will be able to properly restore and preserve historical infrastructure and sites that were wantonly disregarded in the past. I wish that the Bikol literature, language and history be taught in all primary and secondary schools in Naga City, so much so every student will know who we are as a people, and be proud of our rich cultural heritage. I also wish that more groups and the media will effectively partner in this endeavor.
by Joey D. Co
Housing & Urban Poor. He talks about prompt processing of land titles of housing project benefi ciaries, and building of more basic infrastructure in urban poor sites and communities. I hope more housing units will be available to the squatters living under the bridges, [along] railroad tracks, and river banks so that they will have safe and decent dwellings.
ON July 17, 2012 (Tuesday) Naga City Mayor John Garcia Bongat delivered the State of Our City Report to his constituents. Mayor John emphasized that he is merely reporting what is the present condition of Naga City after two years under his administration, and
the remarkable improvements and development[s] brought about by his sterling leadership.
He talked not only about what the City Government has done and will be doing, but also how the ordinary citizens can be a part of, and [be] instrumental in effecting change and transformation of Naga City and its people. He asked Nagueños to Help their City. He said, “Our program goes by the acronym H2ELP your CiTy, in itself a call for stronger citizen participation in governance and development.” More concretely, the program defi nes the following priority areas the Bongat administration commits itself in a covenant ratifi ed by the people during the last local election which he won overwhelmingly on a platform of leadership by example.
H2ELP YOUR CITY is further explained through the following:
30
Livelihood, Employment & Human Development. He talks about measures that will help people earn and work in the city, and further enhance human resources in order
to qualify them to work in other places and abroad. The establishment of the Naga City Community College is a concrete example of this initiative.
Transparency, Accountability & Good Governance. He talks about consultative decision-making in local governance, especially that it exemplifi es the delivery of services to the people. An honest and clean government inspires the citizens to partner, and share in solving problems by providing the needed resources, and by participating in the endeavor in community building. Through this initiative, Naga and its people will be transformed, and continuously soar to greater heights and achievement.
Indeed, the people of Naga smile back as they HELP their City and the Bongat administration realize the “Maogmang Lugar” (Happy Place) for everyone.
Last year, Mayor John issued Proclamation No. 2011-03 that declared the City of Naga as a “Zone of Discipline” and adopted for the purpose “The Ten Little Things a Proud Nagueño Should Do” as its advocacy for responsible citizenship. Mayor John personally wrote it, and he wanted it to be taught in homeroom and Makabayan subjects in schools. There will also be sustained dissemination efforts in media as well as printing of promotional tarpaulins to be installed in strategic corners of the city.
The proclamation underscores that discipline and moral values are [a] key to responsible citizenship. “It is through discipline that we become productive, affl uent, strong, and an enlightened people,” he emphasized.
Peace & Order and Public Safety. He talks about providing safety measures to safeguard life and limb, and secure the properties of citizens and visitors alike in the Happy city. I hope that the city government will install more CCTV cameras, and enhance its drives against petty crimes and criminal elements in the streets especially the riding-in-tandem menace.
Cleanliness & Environment Protection. He talks about clean air, clean water, and sprucing the environment. Public hygiene can be observed if the citizens will follow the anti-smoking and anti-littering ordinances. They must be also mindful of their trash, and men should not pee anywhere they feel relieving themselves like stray dogs especially when they are intoxicated by too much liquor. By the way, the Naga River Rehabilitation Project is just what the city needs. It will foster tourism, boost economic activities, and discipline the people to help maintain the river and its surroundings clean and beautiful.
Naga City Community College is a concrete example of this initiative.Naga City Community College is a concrete example of this initiative.
Transparency, Accountability & Transparency, Accountability &
31
The 10th Sangguniang Panlungsod of Naga:
A Legacy of Good Governance
Enhancing a tradition of active citizen engagement
WITH the belief that good governance is constantly evolving, and driven by the principles of good
governance introduced under the leadership of the late Jesse M. Robredo, former mayor of Naga and Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the City Government has remained true to the core values of active citizen engagement, transparency, and accountability.
The crafting and implementation of Ordinance 95-092, more popularly known as Naga City’s “Empowerment Ordinance” marked the beginning of an era in Philippine public administration where the people had a direct hand in charting the city’s course thru the Naga City Peoples’ Council (NCPC). From that landmark legislation, citizen participation and engagement took on many forms. More than just making their voice heard in policy-making, people’s organizations (POs) and non-government organizations (NGOs)
were now effectively partners with the City Government.
Even though the presence of organized and well-represented sectors allowed for a more inclusive form of local governance, the 10th Sangguniang Panlungsod further expanded the scope of citizen engagement to include those who are not members of any specifi c sector. This allowed for the gathering of feedback, suggestions and ideas directly from individual citizens, resulting in the crafting of landmark legislative measures that support the combined Executive-Legislative Agenda (ELA) of the City Government.
The process of constant feedback-gathering from both organized sectors and individual citizens, creation of legislative measures, their effective implementation by the executive branch, and the synergy of the executive and legislative branches of government have led to shared responsibility and leadership by both branches.
32
by Alec Santos
The Key Message: Shared Leadership Fueled by Active Citizen Engagement
The influence of citizen engagement facilitated by the Sanggunian, coupled with the seamless integration of the priorities of both the legislative and executive branches, have led to the continuation and improvement of the city’s best practices. Instead of creating divergent paths and different priorities, both branches of government sought to complement each other, based on the results of engagement, the result of which is the executive-legislative agenda.
Under this general roadmap, the City Government has been able to sustain its best practices and even introduce new innovations. The 10th Sangguniang Panlungsod, realizing the contribution of established sectors and individual citizens alike, has made use of various tools and mechanisms to accurately gauge peoples’ sentiments.The
executive department, under the leadership of Mayor John G. Bongat, also utilizes the same tools as the legislative department, reducing the time and effort needed to synchronize feedback.
Under the seamless priority framework of both branches, legislative measures are crafted to support programs of the executive department. Likewise, the executive branch introduces programs and projects to support legislative actions of the Sanggunian.
The Executive-Legislative Agenda: A SynergyThe Executive-Legislative Agenda of
the 10th Sangguniang Panlungsod was crafted based on policy directions, programs and projects contained in the State of the City Report of the Chief Executive, the combined key priorities of both government branches, and those contained in the city’s Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP), particularly those that require legislative measures to ensure immediate implementation, and in consultation with the City Development Council and other stakeholders. Crucial input from the NCPC, is also incorporated in the Legislative Agenda of the 10th Sangguniang Panlungsod.
The multi-sectoral approach to the creation of the executive-legislative
agenda underscores the important role of institutions, peoples’ organizations (POs), and non-government organizations (NGOs) operating in Naga. Aside from the different POs and NGOs, organizations representing interests from the business sector like the Metro Naga Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Centro Naga Business Club also have a significant contribution not only to the crafting of the executive-legislative agenda, but also to legislative measures introduced by the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
The close coordination of the executive and legislative branches has resulted in the city’s key priorities, namely: health, housing, education, livelihood, peace and order, cleanliness and environment protection, and transparency, accountability and good governance or H2ELP your CiTy. Regular discussions of these key concerns between the executive and legislative departments have led to vital local legislation, supporting existing programs of the executive branch, or initiating new programs entirely by either branch of government.
By incorporating the programs and projects of the executive and legislative departments in the ELA, and defining the course of action for the priorities, the City Government can effectively allocate resources to simultaneously attain similar goals and objectives of both branches of government. In short, the crafting of the ELA identified key priorities for effective legislative action and implementation.
Hybrid Leadership RolesMembers of the 10th Sangguniang
Panlungsod are not confined strictly to their roles as legislators. Rather, they also play crucial leadership roles in the joint development programs of the executive and legislative branches.
In line with the priorities identified in the ELA, CDP, and H2ELP your CiTy, city councilors also head various special committees and bodies created by the chief executive to complement their Sanggunian committee chairmanships. This allows for the integration of legislative and executive functions. Not only are Sanggunian members
3333
legislators, they also act as implementers of the very legislation and policies they help create.
For instance, the chairman of the Sanggunian committee on education, Atty. Nelson Legacion, also sits on the Naga City School Board aside from being a stalwart supporter of the city’s Quality Universal Elementary and High School Education in Naga (QUEEN) program, whose aim is to ensure that school children continue their education by allocating resources to help provide parents with support and incentives.
Sangguniang Panlungsod member, Cecilia Veluz-De Asis, who chairs the committee on family, women, and gender development, also heads the Bantay Familia in Naga, a network of NGOs dedicated to protecting the welfare of abused family members. Nathan Sergio, who co-chairs the committee on health, is also an active leader in Naga’s persons-with-disabilities sector, and is instrumental in the creation of the city’s Persons with Disabilities Affairs Office (PDAO).
Citizen Engagement and i-Engage: A Continuous Process of Innovation
One of the core principles by which the 10th Sangguniang Panlungsod lives by is its transparency and openness with the citizenry, with the ultimate goal of encouraging engagement with the executive department (especially the mayor), sectors, groups, and individual citizens. This system of partnership, which has proven itself to be effective, continues to be at the heart of the Sanggunian’s engagement policy.
Over the years, transparency has taken on many forms, starting with the institutionalization of the Empowerment Ordinance, to the i-Governance program, and now the i-LED program. The i-LED program allows for the seamless use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in identifying key issues, providing possible solutions, and allowing for focused intervention. With the understanding that engagement entails constant evolution and innovation, the Sanggunian has also introduced the i-Engage program under i-LED.
The i-LED, as a city-wide collection of services, supports the priorities under H2ELP your CiTy, the CDP, and the ELA. The i-Engage program, as the 10th Sanggunian’s contribution to the i-LED, introduces innovations to the existing i-Governance program of the city.
Using a mix of traditional and modern tools, i-Engage encourages a more active participation of the citizenry in governance. These tools and methods were initiated by both the executive and legislative branches, and are regularly used to gauge feedback and suggestions.
While the i-Governance program mandated the creation of the Citizens’ Charter, the i-Engage took this one step further with the posting of Sanggunian committee hearing schedules and calendar of business on the city’s website, www.naga.gov.ph, and a forum page on the same website. In pursuit of the accountability and transparency thrust of the city government, under the leadership of City Mayor John G. Bongat, the Naga City Gazette (the Official Journal of the City Government of Naga) is regularly published in both online and paper formats, as mandated by Executive Order 2010-029.
Printed bi-annually and distributed for free to all Barangay governments, local government agencies, as well as academic and civic institutions, the Official Gazette contains key legislative enactments of the Sangguniang Panlungsod like ordinances, resolutions, as well as executive issuances like executive and administrative orders, and proclamations.
To aid in the information dissemination of key legislative and executive policies and actions, the city government also publishes the Naga SMILES magazine every quarter, and distributes the same for free to academic institutions, government agencies, and businesses establishments. In-depth stories discuss ordinances, resolutions, and their implementation by the executive branch. Both branches of the city government are given the opportunity to collectively present actions and measures taken, and encourage feedback and public participation for both legislative and executive actions.
3434
The graphical model below illustrates the evolution of citizen engagement and the important contribution of the Sanggunian to its evolution:
The availability of ICT tools, particularly social media networks, allows the 10th
Sangguniang Panlungsod to reach a greater number of citizens not previously covered by the Empowerment Ordinance and the i-Governance program. Underscoring the important role of social media and their increased use by citizens, the i-Engage program is envisioned to use this readily available technology to achieve better transparency.
Using existing human resources, and with minimal training and capacity-building, the i-Engage program will soon utilize live Twitter updating of Sanggunian committee hearings. While the executive department currently uses Twitter to provide citizens live news updates of important city-wide events, the Sangguniang Panlungsod has adopted this tool to communicate directly with citizens using the internet even at the lowest level of deliberation and discussions, allowing citizens to actively participate. Photos and video clips can also be uploaded in almost real-time. By using concise descriptions, the Sanggunian is able to provide quick updates during committee hearings, and even incorporate reactions and feedback in their deliberations.
The graphical model below shows how citizen engagement is improved under the Sanggunian’s i-Engage program:
35
The Results of the i-Engage Program: Doing More with LessFor the period July 2010 to June 30, 2012, out of ninety six (96) regular and seven (7)
special sessions, two hundred sixteen (216) committee hearings, twenty one (21) public hearings, seventeen (17) hearings of special bodies, and fi ve (5) budget hearings, the 10th Sangguniang Panlungsod adopted/enacted and approved a total of 952 resolutions and 146 ordinances categorized and distributed as follows:
Out of 146 ordinances, 46 are considered landmark legislative measures given their impact on the city constituents.
The 10th Sangguniang Panlungsod best exemplifi es what an effective and effi cient Sanggunian can be. The common objectives and priorities set by the ELA, the CDP, and H2ELP your CiTy ensure that executive and legislative measures, programs and projects are synchronized, leading to effi cient use of government resources. ICT has also led to improved transparency in governance, most particularly in the legislative branch.
The introduction of the i-Engage program, and its relative ease of implementation, coupled with its effectiveness in garnering feedback for use even in the formulation or revision of legislative measures, have contributed to the innovation of citizen engagement. By engaging citizens on an interactive platform (social media), they become pro-active even at the level of committee hearings, giving them an active role in the crafting of policies.
By maximizing the use of existing traditional tools like the Offi cial Gazette, Naga SMILES magazine, the enhanced www.naga.gov.ph, and newer ones like social media, and capitalizing on their reach, effectiveness, ease of use, and sheer number of users, the Sanggunian can easily engage the citizens for a truly inclusive and participative form of government, proving the time-honored mantra of the City Government of Naga and the 10th Sangguniang Panlungsod, “Doing more with less.”
36
COMMITMENT to public service knows no boundaries. That is one of the standards that topnotch City Councilor Cecilia B. Veluz-de
Asis puts into practice to ensure that her actions will not be hampered or get derailed by things she regards as inconsequential. She said, “Like any other government worker, I am duty-bound even beyond the eight-hour working time limit” to respond expeditiously to calls of public service.
In brief recollection, the down-to-earth Councilor says it was her parents who taught her the basics of public service. She adds that a public servant has to be accommodating and sincere at all times regardless of how big or small an action is being demanded to be carried out. Nene, as she is fondly called, began to learn the value and nobility of public service since her grade school years when her father, Silverio, was the town mayor of Del Gallego and when her mother, Lucy, succeeded him after he fi nished his term and became provincial board member.
Popularly hailed as “Kasurog kan Familia (Family Defender),” Nene was fi rst elected to the city council in 1998 where she earned the moniker “champion for the welfare of women and children, and strong family relations.” She fi nished her 3-year term in 2007 and was again overwhelmingly re-elected in 2010 under the Liberal Party, garnering the highest number of votes among the candidates who ran for the position.
Among her landmark legislative measures are the ordinances penalizing domestic violence and providing protective measures therefoe, creating the Naga City Council for Women, declaring every March 8 to March 14 of the year as Women’s Week, as well as an ordinance directing hospitals in Naga City to identify a Pink Crisis Center for Rape Victims, and a resolution that calls upon all barangays in the city to create separate committees on Family and on Women.
The councilor during her fi rst term also worked for the approval of an ordinance implementing Foster Care for Abused Children. It was during that time that she began to spearhead the Bantay Familia, an organization that assists women and children in crisis and works for the prevention of domestic violence.
She also initiated the construction of the Naga City Women’s Crisis Center. As chairperson of the Naga City Bantay Familia, Councilor de
Asis envisions a bright future for every Nagueño family because of the city government’s campaign promoting strong family bonds which she believes is key to reducing domestic violence incidence.
Councilor de Asis is currently the chairperson of the Committees on Appropriations and on Family, as well as on Women and Gender and Development. She co-chairs the Committees on Culture and the Arts/Tourism, People Empowerment, Human Rights, and Children.
With her multifarious accomplishments as a long-time gender and development advocate, and with her unrelenting mass appeal, Nene de Asis is no topnotcher for nothing.
HON. CECILIA V.
DE ASIS
With her multifarious accomplishments as long-time gender and
development advocate, and with her unrelenting mass appeal, Nene de Asis is no
topnothcer for nothing.
37
WHEN she was fi rst elected as city councilor, her assumption to offi ce did not bring her jitters as
she had been exposed to public service for almost 20 years when her husband Jun was Barangay Chairman and became an ex offi cio member of the Sangguniang Panlungsod, until fi nally getting himself elected as a member of the city council.
Babet, as she prefers to be called, has always been by the side of her husband and the pair has always worked together in the name of public service. With her experience and competence, many expect her to deliver effectively and effi ciently the various tasks that have been entrusted to her at the Sanggunian.
During her initial term of service, she was the chairperson of the Committee on Family and Human Rights. She sought to protect the interest, as well as uphold the integrity and well-being of every Nagueño and his family.
The energy and dedication she channeled to her duties catapulted her to her second term as Sanggunian member, as she vowed
to serve with greater determination to repay the overwhelming votes given her by the Nagueños. Toward this end, Babet pledges her best in promoting the welfare of Bicolano consumers, being the chairperson of the Committee on Consumer Protection.
She is also resolved to help uplift the productivity and learning capacity of the poor through her leadership of the Committee on Manpower and Livelihood. A world-class Naga City People’s Mall worthy of the Naga SMILES program of the city is also her
vision for a dynamic shoppers’ facility, which she intends to achieve through her chairing of the Committee on Public Market Affairs.
Babet likewise complements these duties and shares her
zeal for service through her participation in the committees on Energy, Land Use, Infrastructure, and Tourism. As if these were not enough, she is also the appointment head of the Naga City Price Coordinating Council.
No doubt, the Nagueño family’s economic well-being is in good hands at the legislative branch of the city government with Babet.
HON. MA. ELIZABETH Q. LAVADIA
No doubt, the Nagueñofamily’s economic well-
being is in good hands at the legislative branch of the city
government with Babet.
38
AN gusto ko healthy ka!” is the statement he fondly says. And his track record affi rms that he means
what he says.As chairman of the crucial health
committee of the Sangguniang Panlungsod, Doc Chito leads the city’s health initiatives as Co-chairman (with the Mayor) and Presiding Offi cer of the Local Health Board, the policymaking body on health.
Among the “rookies” in the 10th Sanggunian, City Councilor Joaquin F. Perez, Jr., who is a medical doctor and hails from the kinfolk of good leaders and bright public servants in Naga City, works closely with the City Health Offi ce in delivering basic health services down to the barangay level, with strong support from Barangay Health Workers (BHWs).
He authored/co-authored, among others, Ordinance No. 2012-015, conferring upon the city’s barangay health workers
the limited right to security of tenure and increasing their honoraria. This he did to enhance barangay health care programs through the support of a dedicated and motivated corps of health volunteers.
Son of Dr. Joaquin Perez, Sr. and former Vice Mayor Virginia Felipe-Perez, “Doc Chito” ran in the May 2010 local elections for the position of city councilor and won, bringing with him a promise of a healthier constituency.
Apart from issues concerning health, Doc Chito, who is also a nephew of former Congressman and COMELEC Commissioner
Ramon H. Felipe, Jr., involves himself in tourism development and other undertakings that promote the city’s history, culture and arts. As Chairman of the Committee on Culture and Arts/Tourism, he has also been linking up with private entities, government agencies and academic institutions in a bid to fortify the city’s program on tourism, which is also one of the priorities of the Bongat administration.
A brilliant writer, Doc Chito is a regular columnist of Bicol Mail, which also serves as an outlet of his principled advocacies.
HON. JOAQUIN F. PEREZ, JR.
“
He authored/co-authored, among others, Ordinance No. 2012-
015, conferring upon the city’s barangay health workers the
limited right to security of tenure and increasing their honoraria.
This he did to enhance barangay health care programs through
the support of a dedicated and motivated corps of health
volunteers.
39
CITY Councilor Rentoy is the youngest elected councilor at 19 (in 2010) in the history of the Sangguniang
Panlungsod of Naga. A former Sangguniang Kabataan Federation President and ex offi cio member of the Sangguniang Panlungsod, the young councilor is a dedicated leader who established numerous programs for his constituents in the SK. In recognition of his contributions, he was awarded the Gawad Kampeon sa Kabataang Pilipino by the National Youth Commission (NYC). He is the author of the fi rst ever Youth Code (Ordinance No. 2012-035) in the country, a feat acknowledged by no less than the NYC.
As chairman of the Sanggunian Committee on Children, his priority legislative measures are geared towards upholding the rights and welfare of children and the youth as well as empowering and engaging them as partners of the city
government in the judicious pursuit of its development goals.
As Co-Chairman of the Committee on Education, he strives to upgrade the quality of education in the city. He wants to give
every individual the chance to enjoy his/her right to education and, consequently, produce competitive young individuals. His co-authorship of the ordinance giving scholarships to poor but deserving college students is concrete proof of his sincerity in promoting the youth’s
welfare and benefi ts.As Chairman of the Committee on
People Empowerment, he seeks to create special programs that will involve NGOs and people’s organizations as dynamic partners in achieving genuine and sustainable progress and development.
HON. RAY-AN
CYDRICK G.RENTOY
. . . his priority legislative measures are geared towards
upholding the rights and welfare of children and the youth as well
as empowering and engaging them as partners of the city
government in its development goals.
40
A second-term councilor, Councilor Nathan Sergio chairs the Sanggunian Panlungsod Committees on Land Use,
Environment and Energy, Ways and Means, and Persons with Disabilities. He co-chairs the committees on Health and Urban Poor Affairs, aside from memberships in other various standing committees.
Among the key local ordinances that he authored are: the institutionalization of voluntary blood donation called “Sandugo,” the establishment of the Persons with Disabilities Affairs Offi ce (PDAO), the increase in the yearly budget allocation for PWDs and senior citizens, the regulation on junkshop operations, the institutionalization of time-bound guidelines for the approval of housing subdivisions, and the establishment of a unique resource mobilization scheme known as the Anduyog Fund.
An ardent advocate of voluntary blood donation, with himself a regular blood donor, he was designated as Executive Director of the city’s Blood Program and was elected to
the Board of Directors of the Philippine Red Cross–Camarines Sur Chapter. He also sits as a member in the city’s Investment Board, Health Board, Housing Board, Solid Waste Management Board, Airshed Governing Board, and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. He was invited by the HELP Learning Center, an NGO that caters to the needs of the mentally handicapped, to become one of its Trustees.
Prior to being elected as a City Councilor in 2007, he had 18 years of rich experiences in public service, purely in the executive department. In 1988, while a student leader of Ateneo, he was also chosen as Youth Mayor of Naga City.
For his distinctive brand of service, he has been accorded national and regional/local awards and recognitions, among which are: “Dangal
ng Bayan Award” by the Civil Service Commission, and the “Public Servant of the Year Award” by the Kilosbayan Foundation and GMA-7 Foundation.
Hon. DAVID CASPER
NATHAN A. SERGIO
For his distinctive brand of service, he has been accorded national and regional/local
awards and recognitions, among which are: “Dangal ng Bayan Award” by the Civil Service
Commission, and the “Public Servant of the Year Award” by the
Kilosbayan Foundation and GMA-7 Foundation.
41
Tuason is also at the forefront of
institutionalizing landmark ordinances that encourage people’s direct
participation in crime prevention and control.
RETIRED veteran police offi cer Jose
“Seling” Tuason, who is now on his
second term as city councilor (1995-
1998, 2007-2010), considers the youth as
one of his topmost concerns.
Councilor Tuason upholds youth
concerns by supporting policies that
promote and encourage youth participation
and involvement in local governance,
consequently enhancing their capabilities
that will enable them to actively participate
in building “Maogmang
Lugar.”
As chairman of the
Sangguniang Panlungsod
Committee on Peace
and Order, Tuason is
also at the forefront
of institutionalizing
landmark ordinances
that encourage people’s
direct participation in
crime prevention and control by keeping the
neighborhood crime watch group active. He
also heads the Sanggunian Committees on
City Properties and Infrastructure.
Currently, he is the co-chairman of
the Sanggunian Committees on Consumer
Protection, Environment and Energy, Games
and Amusement, Persons with Disabilities
and Senior Citizens.
Councilor Tuason also represents the
Sangguniang Panlungsod in the People’s
Law Enforcement Board (PLEB). He is the
president of the Association of Retired
Law Enforcers (ARLE) and the Building
Opportunities for Youth Success (BOYS), Inc.,
an organization supporting
the development of
the youth through
multifarious capacity
building activities.
As a police offi cer
before, Tuason rose from
being a patrolman to
higher positions in the
PNP until he retired from
the service as deputy
regional commander. In the course of his
career in the service, he was awarded as most
outstanding policeman in the country for
his sterling accomplishments as a dedicated
crime fi ghter.
HON. JOSE A.
TUASON
42
HON. GABRIEL H. BORDADO, JR.
Sacrifi cing for the common good
OCTOBER 5, 2012 will be forever etched in the minds of Naga City’s wizened political observers. It was actually
the last day of fi ling of the certifi cates of candidacy. Yet, nobody ever expected that a political bombshell would later be detonated.
Mayor John Bongat, the chairman of the local Liberal Party, organized a veritable rally at the People’s Hall, with the leaders of the seven municipalities composing the 3rd district of Camarines Sur in attendance. After all, the incumbent Naga City Vice Mayor Gabriel Hidalgo Bordado,Jr. would be proclaimed as
the offi cial LP candidate for representative of the district, having handily won a series of run-offs and local surveys. So, the program commenced with the members of the Team Naga introducing themselves. The local print and broadcast media went through the motions of taking note of the usual speeches and braced themselves up for a couple of hours of boredom--or so they thought.
The vice mayor was designated as the last speaker. He started in his signature style, his booming voice fi lling the hall and pumping up his supporters. The crowd lapped up every
Continued on page 5443
Continued on page 54
A young lawyer found his hands full as City Legal
Officer, functioning as lawyer for the City Government, as well as chairing various committees and bodies, including the Bids and Awards Committee, ensuring transparency and accountability.
During his stint as City Legal Officer from 2001 until 2007, he made his mark by winning major legal battles for the city.
As the city’s lawyer, he successfully defended the city in cases filed against it and prosecuted expropriation cases that were necessary in the implementation of the local government’s Urban Poor program.
It was, however, in the sensational
by Jason B. Neola
Atty. Nelson S. Legacion:
The Shining Moments of
People's
LAWYER and LEGISLATORfor the People
ejectment case filed by the heirs of a well-known family in Naga that Atty. Nelson Salvadora Legacion shone as a brilliant and judicious lawyer, as he successfully defended the city, up to the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court. The heirs had demanded that city hall vacate the property, a move that threatened to throw the operations of the local government into
44
disarray, after claiming that the 1954 deed of donation by the original owners of the lots was not consummated. The Supreme Court, in an amended decision issued on July 20, 2011, said that in the absence of any action on the part of the heirs’ ancestors, while offices were being built on the property by the city government and other agencies such as the Dept. of Justice, Bureau of Fire Protection, Land Transportation Office, National Bureau of Investigation and by private organizations as well, the donation had been deemed consummated due to estoppel by laches.
The controversy between the provincial and city governments over the supervision and administration of Plaza Rizal in Centro Naga dragged on until Atty. Legacion, in his capacity as City Legal Officer, sought speedy action from the Supreme Court. In the decision penned by Associate Justice Minita V. Chico-Nazario, the High Court ruled that the city government has administrative and supervisory control over the contested Plaza Rizal as it was under Naga City’s territorial jurisdiction. Atty. Legacion’s efforts in successfully defending the city’s interests in these cases and in many others were duly recognized by his peers in the city council through Resolution No. 2008-304.
Humble beginnings of a small town boy
A native of the picturesque town of Buhi, Camarines Sur, and inspired by the hard work and sacrifices of his father, who supported their family as a farmer, Nelson Salvadora Legacion joined the Philippine bar in April 27, 1995 shortly after finishing bachelor of laws at the University of Nueva Caceres the previous year.
An alumnus of the St. Anthony Mary Claret College in Quezon City, Nelson graduated with honors at St. Bridget’s School in his hometown after finishing as valedictorian from Lourdes Elementary School, evidence of his intellectual capabilities that would prove useful in the career he would later choose.
He maintains a private law firm with his wife, fellow lawyer Atty. Marion Eloisa Escueta Legacion, his law partner. While the firm specializes in labor cases, Atty. Legacion took under his wings environment cases in Paracale, Camarines Norte. His efforts resulted in the Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) issuing six separate Cease and Desist Orders. The lawyer was also active in the non-government group Sentro ng Alternatibong
45
Lingap Panligal (Saligan) in various capacities as branch coordinator, litigation officer and administrative officer from 1992 to 2001. During his stint with Saligan, Legacion conducted trainings and seminars for basic sectors on their rights and laws affecting them. He also handled cases for laborers, farmers, fisherfolk and women.
From law to ordinancesWith two solid terms in the city council
after lawyering for the Naga City Government for about six years, Atty. Nelson Legacion has proven himself more than just another practitioner of the law and home-grown legislator, setting the stage for the continuity of a robust leadership in the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
As a lawmaker, he worked on measures that prioritized education as well as promoted the rights and protected the interests of the basic sectors.
These ccomplishments bolstered his record as an outstanding leader and legislator. Not surprisingly, when it was time to choose Team Naga’s bet for the next Vice Mayor, Legacion’s name topped the surveys. Backed by strong performance in both private practice and public service, Atty. Legacion has shown himself worthy of the trust and respect of the people, proving that he can help chart Naga’s continuing quest for progress and genuine development, especially with a supportive Sanggunian in tow.
Seeking his own place in the local political arena indeed seemed a natural path to take for this challenge-driven and service-oriented lawyer. In 2007, he ran for a city council post backed by the late Mayor Jesse M. Robredo. Legacion, then a political newcomer, placed 9th among city councilors. Soon, however, he was making his own mark as he carved
a track record that would see him through as a brilliant legislator. It did not come as a surprise that when he ran for a second term in 2010, he garnered the second highest number of votes in the Sanggunian.
As first termer, he chaired the committees on education, city properties and games and amusement. During his second term, he was head of the committees on education; laws, ordinances and reorganizations; trade and industry as well as agriculture, while serving as co-chairman or member of various standing committees in the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
In the city council, he worked on important pieces of legislation involving education, the youth, urban poor and health. He brought to fruition the Quality Universal Elementary and High School Education Program (more popularly called the “QUEEN” program) through Ordinance No. 2007-045
and Ordinance No. 2011-053. This provides a framework and funding support designed to improve access to quality basic education. The program benefited thousands of underprivileged students who were able to avail of financial assistance from the city.
In 2009, he crafted the Summer Enhancement and Enrichment Program (Ordinance No. 2009-064) to improve student performance by providing free remedial and enrichment classes. Further, to provide support for deserving but financially handicapped students who wish to pursue college or technical-vocational education, he also instituted the Naga City Tertiary Scholarship Program (NTSP) through Ordinance No. 2010-063. In another unprecedented measure that gave more people access to the benefits of education, he authored Ordinance Number 2011-050,which institutionalized the e-Skwela Projectby establishing barangay-based e-Learning
Indeed, Atty. Nelson Legacion is determined to leave a legacy built not so much
around the law, but one built around bringing positive
change in the lives of people he has sworn to serve.
46
Centers or Barangay e-Skwela Centers for out-of-school youth and out-of-school adults in all of the barangays of Naga City.
In a more recent piece of legislation authored by Atty. Legacion, single parents are bound to receive much-needed relief. Ordinance No. 2012-049 created the Solo Parents Offi ce which oversees the program providing assistance to single parents and their children in Naga. The benefi ts and privileges accorded to qualifi ed benefi ciaries range from scholarship assistance, housing, livelihood and others as part of the local government’s desire to provide children and families of a growing number of single parents a better chance in life.
Legacion also spearheaded the passage of the Lupon Ordinance (City Ordinance 2012-037) otherwise known as Prescribed Naga Lupon Ordinance (PNaLO) which aims to ensure peace and order in Naga’s 27 barangays by providing viable means of amicable resolution of confl icts in the community.
A greater challenge awaitsThese and numerous other achievements
show a hardworking and highly-skilled legal
mind and a public-spirited heart. Indeed, Atty. Nelson Legacion is determined to leave a legacy built not so much around the law, but one built around bringing positive change in the lives of people he has sworn to serve.
This, as well as his extensive experience in varied areas of governance, has defi nitely prepared him to be an effective leader, equipped with incisive ability to bring about consensus in diffi cult circumstances. As a public servant adhering to democratic principles, Legacion has always stood pat on the belief that proper consultation at the grassroots level encourages participation in decision-making, which is at the core of Naga’s people empowerment principles, to extract the best ideas from the people he works with, clear traits that speak well of his fi tness for the position he is now aspiring for--the vice mayoralty post in the City Government of Naga.
A team player that he has proven to be, Atty. Nelson Legacion shares Mayor John Bongat’s vision of a truly progressive and Maogmang Lugar. He is seen as the ideal partner in the city’s legislative branch to take charge in the continuing quest for a better and brighter Naga.
We need no less than a Nelson Legacion to lead a stronger, more responsive Sanggunian.
Centers or Barangay e-Skwela Centers for out-
47
Atty. Leni Robredoin the halls of Congress
48
SHEDDING the role of the grieving yet strong widow the world saw
after the tragic death of her husband, Atty. Ma. Leonor “Leni” Robredo, found herself casting her lot in the political arena. Fired up by the enthusiastic support of people longing for a stop to the dominance of a political clan widely perceived as the biggest stumbling block to progress in the third district of Camarines Sur, which includes Naga City, she is determined to pursue her new-found role as the herald of change.
“People now see a chance to put an end to a political dynasty that has not brought real progress to the province, let alone in this district,” Leni tells interviewers when asked why she had heeded the people’s clamor to run in the coming elections.
With the passing of the late Secretary of the Interior and Local Government and three-term Naga Mayor Jesse M. Robredo, people also mourned the loss of one of the pillars of progressive
The People’s Rallying Symbol for Change
by Jason B. Neola
politics. It was feared that unfettered traditional politics (trapo) would thus run rampant. Faced with this prospect, and to bring unity to a political party troubled by the loss of one of its most important leaders, the choice for Leni almost seemed inevitable, though admittedly very diffi cult to make. In the
fi nal moments when she had to make a choice on the last day of fi ling of certifi cates of candidacy for the 2013 elections last October 5, she asked herself, “What would Jesse do?”
“My husband would say that we should never turn our backs to serving our country,” she said. Being a mother to three orphaned daughters, she had to take their welfare into serious consideration. Ultimately, however, she honored the
call to serve the greater interests of the people. It was not an easy decision but she knew Jesse would not have it any other way.
Rather than being criticized for turning her back on the vow she earlier made not to join politics, people overwhelmingly supported her decision,
viewing it as a way to preserve the legacy of her late husband, a legacy of genuine public service which she is determined to keep burning. When the going got tough, Leni stood up to take up the
challenge. People close to her say that this shows her tremendous inner strength and conviction, driving her to do what needs to be done despite seemingly impossible odds.
It is perhaps the desire to heed the clamor for change that drives her. “It is time to put an end to trapo politics in the province, particularly in our district, and I am confi dent that given our people’s support, it can be done,” Leni avers.
People close to her say that this shows her tremendous inner strength and conviction, driving her to do what needs to be done despite seemingly impossible odds.
49
“Jesse has shown us that it is possible to bring about the kind of government that people really want by working with the people.” Participative governance, transparency and accountability were key principles that served as solid foundations for progress in the city of Naga. These are legacies that Leni intends to keep alive and spread out to the rest of the province.
As a successful lawyer in her own right and wife of one of the most revered fi gures of local governance, she has clearly seen that changes are urgently needed in the province. According to Leni, “No longer should Naga City be seen as the exemption in this poverty-stricken part of the country.”
According to a Rappler report, while Naga City has continued to grow as a bustling city, it remains an island of progress in a sea of want. Camarines Sur has the third highest number of poor families since 2003 in the country, lagging in terms of health and education among provinces in the country. If there will be no change in the political leadership after the 2013 midterm elections, the people of Camarines Sur
can only expect to stay at the bottom of the list.
In a surreal twist of fate, Leni was cast into a role that many people have been clamoring for. In social networks and elsewhere, sentiments have grown widespread against traditional politicians, vividly shown by “Anti-Epal” groups that have sprouted like mushrooms while calls for Leni to continue her husband’s legacy grow by the day.
“I believe this is not just a passing fad. People are actually tired of trapos lording it over in local politics.” Leni Robredo says as she notes that with political dynasties, power is seen as something that should be kept in the family by depriving others to share the privilege of being able to serve. The welfare of the constituents is viewed only as an object of lip service, manipulated to win votes and perpetuate those in power.
The lawyer in her sees clearly what needs to be done in Congress. “There are many laws that will need to be changed to favor the marginalized sectors of our society, especially the women, the children
and the workers,” said Leni, who had worked extensively with the non-government organization SALIGAN. SALIGAN or the Sentro ng Alternatibong Lingap Panligal, is widely known for bringing the law closer to basic sectors. As a working mom and given her involvement as head of women’s groups in the city such as the 20-year old Lakas ng Kababaihan and the Naga City Council for Women, Leni has intimate knowledge of women’s issues that are sure to be refl ected in her legislative work.
Having worked closely behind the scenes with her husband Jesse, Leni is the one most familiar with Jesse’s principles and working styles. As recent events unfolded, she stands out as a leader that has come of age. Like another widow suddenly thrust into the middle of the fray against tyranny, Leni has become the rallying symbol for those who clamor for change in Camarines Sur, putting an end to patronage politics and fi nally ushering genuine progress in the province’s Third District, truly felt by the people.the people.
50
De La Salle University launches Jesse M. Robredo Institute of Governance
ACCORDING to Bro. Ricardo P. Laguda FSC, President and Chancellor of DLSU, Robredo’s outstanding
achievements in public service and his brand of leadership that is ethical, innovative, collaborative, knowledge-based, and results-oriented conform to the Lasallian core values of Faith, Service and Communion in Mission. A DLSU alumnus with dual degrees in Industrial Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, Robredo exemplifi ed an unwavering passion to serve, believing that good governance is not only possible, but doable.
The legacy of good governance that Robredo cultivated when he served as Mayor of Naga City for six terms and Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) from 2010 to 2012 provides a rich source of knowledge and inspiration to the university as it continues to strengthen its research, advocacy, and
Att y. Leni G. Robredo poses with Dr. Francisco A. Magno (left ) and Dr. Ricardo P. Laguda.
training programs in the fi elds of policy and governance.The unveiling of the marker for the DLSU Jesse M. Robredo Institute of Governance was held on October 4, 2012 in the presence of Atty. Maria Leonor Robredo, widow of the late DILG Secretary.
During the renaming ceremony, messages of solidarity were delivered by Bro. Bernard Oca FSC Vice Chancellor for Lasallian Mission and Alumni Relations, Commissioner Maria Cynthia Rose Bautista of the Commission on Higher Education, Mayor John Bongat of Naga City, Dr. Eddie Dorotan of the Galing Pook Foundation, Domnina Rances of the DILG, and Dr. Andrew Parker of the Australian Agency for International Development.
Dr. Francisco A. Magno, director of the new Robredo Institute, also presented the general plan that will involve collaborative, multi-sectoral engagement.general plan that will involve collaborative,
(Press release and photo from De La Salle University)
51
Editor’s Note: The following message was delivered during the launch of the DLSU Jesse M. Robredo Institute of Governance on October 4, 2012 at Marilen Gaerlan Observatory, De La Salle University.
Atty. Leni Robredo, DepEd Secretary and former President
of De La Salle, my friend Bro. Armin Luistro, DPWH Sec. Rogelio Singson, La Salle President Bro. Ricardo Laguda, Bro. Bernie, Governance Institute Director Dr. Francisco Magno, Dr. Ed Dorotan of Galing Pook, the Alumni Association,
classmates and friends of Sec. Jesse M. Robredo, friends and guests; Dios marhay na hapon saindo gabos.
Allow me first to thank you for inviting me here with you on this momentous occasion, the dedication of your Institute of Governance in honor of the late Secretary Jesse M. Robredo, Naga City’s father and former mayor. It gives me and the people of Naga a great sense of pride that a prestigious institution like De La Salle University is recognizing and holding in high regard the ideals that Secretary Jesse Robredo
represents. Likewise, we are grateful that you have taken it upon yourselves to keep Secretary Robredo’s memory alive as a beacon of good governance.
Sec. Jesse M. Robredo indeed showed us a rare brand of leadership, a simple and humble lifestyle. He was able to shine as an excellent public servant, but the demands of public service did not push him into sacrificing quality time for his family. Until the very last text messages he sent to Leni on August 18th aboard the ill-fated Piper Seneca plane,
Solidarity Message of Mayor John G. Bongat
52
he promised his loving wife that he will be home for his family.
When he was Mayor of Naga, he was fond of saying, “Maging marhay kita kesa dati,” always believing in the strength and capability of every Nagueño to be better than before. He always believed in the principle that: “An yaman kan Naga iyo an lambang Nagueño.” The greatest treasure of the city is the Nagueño. This is no rhetoric. In Naga, we have a dynamic Naga City People’s Council, directly participating in the decision-making processes of the City Hall.
I and the City Offi cials of Naga are truly honored by the opportunity to have worked with Sec. Jess as our mayor before I was given the opportunity to succeed him in 2010. We thank him for institutionalizing transparency programs aimed at strengthening people’s participation in decision-making and imbibing in each of us the highest sense of public accountability for all the offi cial things we do by virtue of our position.
It has been a month and a half since that fateful day when we lost such an
upright public servant, and the people of Naga lost a cherished and well-loved leader. Naga has never been the same since that mournful day. But the consolation is, as I have repeatedly said in previous speaking engagements, and I think you will all agree with me, that “while we lost him in our midst, we won his legacy.” And I think this is also the reason why De La Salle made that historic decision to name its Institute of Governance after its illustrious son, the great Nagueño, the great Bicolano, the great Filipino, and above all the great La Sallian, Jesse M. Robredo. During his productive years of service as mayor of our city, and even now in his absence, we have always prevailed. Stories abound of Secretary Robredo’s humility as a public offi cial, a virtue that he has taught us well, and one that we have continued to practice as the new leaders of our city. If I may borrow Sec. Jesse’s words; “It’s not enough for an offi cial to be good. There has to be a system that forces him to be good.” Higit sa lahat, hindi lang siya dapat maging “mahusay,” dapat siyang maging “mahusay at matino.”
With his brand of consultative, inclusive and transformative leadership, we were able to introduce innovations in our city and nourish their results for the benefi t of our people. This is the reason why the City of Naga has always been regarded as the center of excellence in good governance in the country. One man should be given credit for all of this, our very own, your very own, Jesse Manalastas Robredo.
The occasion today, I believe, is not only about naming this great institute after Jesse M. Robredo. More than that, it is about how that name will continue to inspire public servants and aspiring public servants to be genuine servants of the public, for the public and by the public.
Let this institute, therefore, be worthy of its chosen name. My dear La Salle brothers, the challenge is yours. And the challenge begins now.
On behalf of the people of Naga, I congratulate De La Salle University for the singular honor given to our beloved Jesse M. Robredo. Thank you very much and good day!
53
“The Sangguniang Panlungsod will be
proactive, its legislative agenda always in
anticipation of the city’s ever changing needs
and vast potentials for growth.”
phrase he uttered. Then, like a supertyphoon veering into the opposite direction, he unceremoniously unleashed the bombastic message.
“To maintain party unity and to protect the legacy of Secretary Jesse M. Robredo, I am giving way to Atty. Leni Gerona Robredo,” Vice Mayor Bordado declared in a voice now quivering with emotion.
The people in the hall were stunned. For a few, tortuous moments, they could not fully comprehend what the vice mayor said. Then they spontaneously shouted “Leni! Leni! Leni!” Almost half of the crowd at the hall were weeping. Even some grizzled politicians, supposedly inured to the vicissitudes of politics, were seen wiping their eyes!
“This is a great sacrifi ce on the part of Vice Mayor Gabby Bordado. He has once again set aside his political ambitions for the common good,” Mayor Bongat remarked as the crowd, alternately shouting and crying, pressed on towards the direction of Vice Mayor Bordado.
Right at the start of his term as City Vice Mayor in 2004, Gabriel “Gabby” Bordado Jr. clearly articulated the path the Sangguniang
Panlungsod would take in its bid to craft legislative measures directly addressing the concerns of the city while at the same time sustaining the time-honored principle of “shared responsibility” conceptualized by the late former City Mayor and Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse M. Robredo.
“The Sangguniang Panlungsod will be proactive, its legislative agenda always in anticipation of the city’s ever changing needs and vast potentials for growth,” Vice Mayor Bordado, a former city information offi cer, acting city administrator and three-term city councilor, said.
As expected, the city councilors have been responding with
characteristic zeal, deftly stretching, at times, the boundaries of legislative prerogatives. Such a set-up has proven to be a boon for the Nagueños inasmuch as the Sangguniang Panlungsod endeavours to go well beyond the confi nes of the session hall to serve its constituencies. By 2007, the Department of the Interior and Local Government cited the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Naga as one of 3 top city councils in the entire country.
Vice Mayor Gabby Bordado is consoled by weeping supporters, aft er making the historic “supreme sacrifi ce” of yielding his congressional candidacy in favor of Att y. Leni Robredo last Oct. 5.
Continued from page 43
54
Vice Mayor Bordado himself (who, as councilor, authored legislative measures leading to the creation of such institutions as the Metro PESO, the Naga City Investment Board, the Integrated Livelihood Master Program, the Naga City Council for Culture and the Arts, and the Galing Pook award-winning Productivity Improvement Program) is in charge of the Libro Para sa Futuro/Sa Pagbasa an Pag-asa Program. It seeks to promote reading as a tool for self-improvement and to secure the very future of the city. He also manages Nutri-dunong, a supplementary feeding program for all public elementary school children.
The three-term city vice mayor studied at the University of the Philippines at Los Baños and Diliman, Asian Institute of Management, and the National University of Singapore (under the auspices of the World Bank and the Singapore government). He worked with the late former City Mayor and DILG Secretary Jesse M. Robredo for more than a quarter of a century, serving as his secretary, city information offi cer, city administrator, and vice mayor for two terms (2004 – 2010).
In his spare time, the vice mayor occasionally writes poetry, feature articles and book reviews. Almost half a dozen of his poems had been anthologized in two books issued by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Six of his book reviews won in the essay writing contest sponsored by the Philippine Star. His feature articles had been published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Malaya, among other periodicals. He is now in the process of drafting his paper entitled “Strategic Models for Local Governance Systems Improvement: The Legacy of Jesse M. Robredo” – the fi nal requirement for the masteral degree in development management and governance at the University of the Philippines at Los Baños College of Public Affairs and Development. This will certainly serve him in good stead as he runs for City Councilor in 2013.
Vice Mayor Bordado is married to Dr. Georgina Junsay Bordado, Dean of the College of Economics and Management of the Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (formerly CSSAC). They have three children: Marian Gabrielle, George Gabriel VII, and Elizabeth Ann.Gabrielle, George Gabriel VII, and Elizabeth
55
LEADERS of the Church, the city government and various agencies joined
hands once again to ensure the safety of devotees and guests and a truly festive and meaningful celebration of the country’s biggest Marian devotion, the Peñafrancia Fiesta, this year. Close to an estimated 1.5 million pilgrims, devotees, visitors and tourists
trooped to Naga during the month-long festivities.
Meanwhile, an Inter-Agency Task Group and Unifi ed Command Joint Operations Center was reactivated by Mayor Bongat thru Executive Order No. 2012-012, calling for the effective and effi cient command, control, coordination, and collaboration and communication system.
The Archdiocese of Caceres, headed by Most Rev. Leonardo Z. Legazpi, and the City Government of Naga, led by Mayor John G. Bongat, along with representatives of various law enforcement agencies, members of local media, heads of services/support groups likewise signed last August 29 a memorandum
of agreement reactivating the Joint Operations Center (JOC), to pave the way for the peaceful and orderly celebration of the regional fi esta, in pursuant of the objectives of Bongat’s E.O.
The agreement marked out the vital functions of each concerned agency in the promotion, scheduling, mounting and coverage of various religious and civic events and activities, maintenance of peace and order, general cleanliness, providing communication, fi rst aid and emergency services and numerous other tasks in hosting the festivities.
Naga City has been named Pilgrim City thru Presidential Proclamation 33 of 2010 issued on September 10, 2010 in recognition of its role as the focal point of the gathering of more than a million devotees
Church, civic leaders ensure solemn, safe Peñafrancia Fiesta
by Jason B. Neola
Peñafrancia Fiesta ‘12
56Continued on page 58
57
and participants who come to the city each September for the Traslacion and the fl uvial processions to honor Bicol’s patroness, Our Lady of Peñafrancia, dearly called “Ina” by the Bicolanos.
This year’s celebration also marks the 130th year of devotion to the Divino Rostro (the Holy Face of Jesus). The Archdiocese further marked the Year of Faith beginning in October and ending in November 2013.
Church authorities here set into motion preparations for the religious activities, including the novena masses, grand traslacion and fl uvial processions and others which form the main highlights of the Peñafrancia Fiesta.
Partner agencies in the JOC are the Offi ce of the Civil Defense (OCD), the appropriate regional/provincial and/or city commands/offi ces of the Philippine Army (PA), Philippine Air Force (PAF) and Philippine National Police (PNP); the Philippine Coast
Guard (PCG), PNP Highway Offi ce, PNP Maritime Group.
Other signatories to the MOA are DepEd, DOH, DPWH, City Health Offi ce, Bicol Medical Center, Naga City Hospital, Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine Red Cross, Casureco II, Metro Naga Water District (MNWD), KBP Camarines Sur and many others.
The JOC is staffed by representatives from partner agencies and other emergency and medical services.
A skeletal force was on standby for deployment during the entire period of the festivities. Partner agencies and commands also complement the task force to address any security and police concerns as well as any extreme situation involving disasters, disruptions, and other eventualities.
Renee Absalon E. Abiada, CCS Senior Duty Offi cer said the JOC had proven successful in dealing with incidents that arose during the celebrations. The task force utilizes advanced technology
such as Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) monitoring system and UHF/VHF communications for real-time reporting of situations. These tools have proven to be indispensable for effective event and traffi c monitoring and control.
He said further that integration of the Philippine Army Signal Company and the Philippine National Police Communications Section to the Central Communications Center was helpful in collecting and relating vital information.
Abiada said additional CCTV cameras, currently installed in strategic parts of the city, have helped improve monitoring coverage as well as increasing rapid deployment and emergency response.
A fl uvial procession task force was also created to focus on concerns related to the fl uvial procession with the Philippine Coast Guard as the lead team. (With reports from Gerald Enguero)
the Philippine Coast Guard as the lead team.
58
Continued from page 56
Marhay na hapon po satuya gabos!
His Excellency, Most Reverend Archbishop Rolando Octavus Joven Tria Tirona, Order of the Discalced Carmelites, Doctor of Divinity, the 4th Archbishop, the 34th Bishop of the Metropolitan See of Caceres since its establishment in 1595, his family members, especially his sisters from the United States of America, the other members of the clergy, parish priests, Msgr. Nono Sañado, Msgr. Rodel Cajot
and Msgr. Noe Badiola, Hon. Governor L-Ray Villafuerte and Provincial Offi cials, the Honorable Mayor Madelaine Alfelor-Gazmen and Iriga City Offi cials, other local and national government offi cials, religious and civic organizations and my colleagues in the City Government, Honorable Vice Mayor Gabby Bordado, esteemed members of the civic reception committee, honored guests, especially our friends from Infanta, fellow Nagueños and fellow Bicolanos, Dios
Message of the Mayor during the civic reception for Arch. Rolando Octavus Joven Tria Tirona, O.C.D., D.D.
marhay na hapon po saindo gabos! Good afternoon!
Today is historic as we welcome to our community the new shepherd of the Archdiocese of Caceres, His Excellency Most Reverend Archbishop Rolando Octavus J. Tria Tirona. His arrival today in our beloved city and in the Archdiocese marks the beginning of a new chapter in the City Government’s strong relationship with the Catholic Church. We are deeply honored to
59
be part of this momentous occasion, to be witnesses to history unfolding itself into a new beginning, a new beginning that will continue the legacy of a much deeper devotion to Bicolandia’s patroness, my Ina, your Ina, our Ina, the moving spirit behind Bicolandia’s unity, Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia.
Today is indeed historic, because in the spirit of unity, Provincial and City Offi cials who rarely meet and greet are all here today in this grand Jesse M. Robredo Coliseum gathered together to meet and greet the new Archbishop of Caceres fresh from Infanta, which used to be part of the Metropolitan See of Caceres many decades or even more than a century ago. It is our faith and devotion as Bicolanos that bind us together, before, now and for always.
We are fortunate that our church leaders and public offi cials alike, in our city and in the Archdiocese, both value the great faith and devotion of Bicolanos. Through the years, most especially under the leadership of His Grace, Archbishop Leonardo Z. Legaspi, O.P., D.D., we were able to mutually ensure the growth and development of our Archdiocese and the City of Naga, the seat of the Archdiocese of Caceres and of the entire Bicol Region it encompasses. Without this strong leadership we would not have been able to achieve all this. We are hopeful that with the strong leadership of our new Archbishop Tria Tirona like what he had demonstrated as a well-loved Bishop of Infanta, we can continue to forge an
even stronger community of faithful as His Grace, our dear new Archbishop, takes over the reins of the Archdiocese at this most opportune time, as the entire Catholic Church celebrates the Year of Faith that started on October 11, 2012 and will end on November 24, 2013, marking the fi rst year of His Grace’s leadership of the Catholic Church and the Archdiocese of Caceres here in the Bicol Region.
But beyond the faith that binds us together, beyond the faith that makes us Bicolanos proud of our history, of our Ina, is that common vision of the church and the state and the local government, all united in making Naga truly a “Maogmang Lugar,” a happy place inhabited by a happy people. It is our fervent wish, therefore, as offi cials of the City Government and the people of Naga that we complement each other’s efforts for a better and brighter future for our Archdiocese, for our city, for our province and for our region.
On behalf of the City Government of Naga, I have the honor to welcome His Excellency, the new Archbishop of Caceres, the Most Rev. Rolando Octavus Joven Tria Tirona, Order of the Discalced Carmelites, Doctor of Divinity.
be part of this momentous We are fortunate
60
61
62
FOR three decades, Dr. William “Bill” Magee and his wife Dr. Kathleen “Kathy” Magee devoted their time to a life-long
mission, to give people born with cleft lip and palate across the world a chance to live fulfi lling lives, a reason to smile.
With the noblest of intentions 30 years ago, the Magees headed out from their Norfolk, Virginia home in the US to the Philippines, hoping to make a difference in the lives of a few unfortunate patients. Little did they expect that their experience during their fi rst surgical mission here in Naga City all those years ago would ignite a simple passion, transforming it into a wildfi re that would spread the message of hope across the globe. Thus, Operation Smile was born.
Thirty years on, 60 countries, 7,000 volunteers, and 200,000 lives changed later, Operation Smile has become the icon of medical volunteerism, a symbol of the power of medicine and how it affects and transforms lives and communities. As the editorial of the Philippine Daily Inquirer reads: “Operation Smile’s success has become its own testament and covenant.”
Last November 10, Bill and Kathy fi nally made their way back to the home of Operation Smile, Naga, which coincidentally promotes itself with the “Naga SMILES to the World” credo. Speaking before patients and their families, volunteers, national and local media, and public offi cials, Bill Magee recalled their very fi rst experience of the Philippines.
“I will never forget our fi rst encounter of the Philippines. It was overwhelming to see Mayon Volcano’s perfect shape during our fl ight. It was an experience when we saw
not one but many cleft lip children during our exploration in the Philippines during our vacation. We decided to conduct a simple mission, but not all of the children who came to us received our service and accommodation, but even so, one of the parents of the kid who didn’t receive the treatment still gave us a bunch of bananas as gratitude, and by that time I was convinced and my passion grew strong to help those kids in need of our service whom we failed to help. I promised to myself that we would go back to help those kids again. That’s the story of how Operation Smile was born.”
More than just a facial deformity, cleft lip and palate can increase the risk of bacterial infection, especially in infants and young children. According to Roberto Manzano, Operation Smile Philippines president, data suggests that 10 percent of children born with cleft problems die before reaching their fi rst birthday and 12 percent never make it to their fi fth birthday. The tragic consequence of this medical condition is greater in developing countries like the Philippines, which sees one in 500 babies born every year with a cleft lip, cleft palate, or both. This translates to more than 4,000 babies born each year with this medical condition.
It was because of this disturbing situation that the Magees embarked on their very fi rst medical mission to Bicol all those years ago. Not expecting such a large turnout of patients, they had not come fully prepared to conduct a large-scale operation. In fact, they were only able to operate on 40 patients with only a handful of volunteers. As Bill Magee narrated during their return to Naga for the 30th year
Operation Smile: The Journey Homeby Alec Santos
63
anniversary of Operation Smile, around 300 families trooped to their team, bringing along children and even adults suffering from cleft lip and palate. Unable to accommodate them all and with the couple scheduled to leave for the US, they made personal vows to return to the hopeful patients the following year.
Over the years, Bill says, the Filipino-American community pitched in to help raise the money needed for medical equipment and supplies. Soon after, medical professionals and organizations adopted Operation Smile in their respective countries, regularly conducting surgical missions in the countryside, and in the process, effectively multiplying the Magees and the impact they have made a thousand-fold over.
With the historic journey home of Bill and Kathy Magee and Operation Smile to Naga, more than a hundred fortunate patients were able to fi nd a reason to smile once again. Patients coming from as far away as the island provinces of Catanduanes and Masbate headed to Naga to avail of the free reconstructive surgeries. The list of patients even included adults who have been forced to endure years of discrimination and embarrassment because of their deformities. As a testament to the impact Operation Smile has had on the lives of former patients, several of those who have undergone surgery brought along their children, who suffer the same fate they had before.
Lani Villaver is one of the many patients of Operation Smile who benefi ted from the program when she was only 4 years old. Now a mother herself, she is once again turning to the program for her identical twins Nathaniel and Matteo, who also have cleft lip condition, hoping they will receive the same help she received so they can also live normal lives.
“I’m very happy because there are people like Mr. and Miss Magee and the volunteers who continue to help people like me without expecting anything in return. They are blessings from God, and my message for those who are suffering the same condition is that they should not be afraid because there are people who want to help people like us,” said Ms. Villaver, expressing her gratitude.
Naga City Mayor John Bongat, in his message during the launch of Operation Smile’s 30th anniversary, believed that it was fate that the city became the site of the very fi rst mission which has now transformed into the world’s largest surgical humanitarian movement. The mayor also expressed his deep gratitude to the founders and organizers for “showing their dedication and commitment in making this noble endeavor and meaningful celebration a huge success.”
Even after three decades, Bill and Kathy have remained always humble, heaping praises instead on the thousands of volunteers. “Each of you, who have travelled from your home cities in the Philippines and from cities across the world, serves as a living tribute to this message. You are an example to a worldwide community that through the children of our world we are able to make a statement that acknowledges that children are the only language that all of us share in common; that Medicine is a powerful vehicle; and that their combination has the ability to unite nations and people,” says Bill.
Few ever expected that on that fateful day three decades ago, when throngs of people affl icted with facial deformities waved goodbye to Bill and Kathy Magee, not to send them off, but to show their sincere gratitude, that the journey had only begun.
64
WE should be proactive in addressing the perennial flooding in many parts of the city,” Mayor John
Bongat quips when asked by the media after he issued two landmark executive orders last June aimed at putting an end to one of the natural menaces facing the city during torrential downpours.
Mayor Bongat issued Executive Orders 2012-013 and 014 as part of Naga’s efforts to solve the perennial flooding problem of Naga and ensure the maintenance of natural waterways in the city.
“These are also climate change adaptation (CCA) initiatives aimed at protecting the environment which we cannot defer to some later date,” Bongat asserts.
In Executive Order 2012-013, the chief executive cited human neglect and irresponsible intervention as causes of the blockage of some of the city’s natural waterways like streams and creeks, exposing communities to the risk of flooding, as well as waterborne diseases.
Bongat also emphasized the need for a flood mitigation board in Executive Order 2012-014, given that Naga lies along the course of both the Naga and Bicol rivers, increasing the risk of flooding in the city, particularly in low-lying barangays.
The Naga City Waterways Management Council and the Naga City Flood Mitigation Board are expected to ensure the effectiveness of the city government’s infrastructure program and recommend additional measures to limit the risk of flooding and flood-related illnesses.
As a special body, the Waterways Management Council will focus on the maintenance of Naga’s natural waterways and their role in agriculture, health, sanitation and environment protection. The council is also charged with the identification of waterways in the city’s 27 barangays and the
organization of residents along the Naga and Bicol rivers into “Defenders of Naga River”.
The Council is composed of the city mayor as chairman with the head of the Environment and Natural Resources Office (ENRO) as the vice chairman. Representatives from local and national government agencies are also included as members, comprised of the heads of the Solid Waste Management Office (SWMO), the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO), the City Health Office (CHO), and the City Agriculture Office (CAgO) as well as the President of the Liga ng mga Barangay, representatives from the Department of Environment and Natural
Bongat creates natural waterways and flood mitigation bodiesby Alec Santos
“
65
Mayor Bongat is interviewed by members of the media during one of his inspecti ons of ongoing drainage improvements in the city.
The city mayor sits as the Board’s chairman with the City Engineer as vice chairman. Members from the government sector include the Assistant City Engineer, the heads of SWMO, ENRO, CPDO, as well as the president of the Liga ng mga Barangay, and representatives from the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Philippine Coast Guard.
Private sector members of the Board include the MNCCI president, representatives from the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers (PICE) Naga City Chapter, United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) Camarines Sur Chapter, the NCPC, and three professionals to be appointed by the city mayor.
Both bodies are also tasked with the preparation of a topographical map indicating the location and fl ow of water in relation to the waterways’ connections to those in adjacent municipalities as well as the implementation of a public awareness campaign, which includes the posting of notices containing important tide information in barangays adjacent to the Naga and Bicol rivers.
The twin executive orders also mandate both bodies to coordinate closely and complement each other in support of the city’s continuous infrastructure development, which has prioritized fl ood mitigation projects like inter-connected drainage systems, drastically improving water drainage into Naga’s natural waterways.
Resources-Environment Management Board (DENR-EMB), the Philippine Coast Guard, and the Metro Naga Water District (MNWD). Members from the private sector include the president of the Metro Naga Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MNCCI), a representative from the Naga City Peoples’ Council (NCPC), and three private practitioners or professionals to be determined and appointed by the city mayor.
Meanwhile, Mayor Bongat’s Flood Mitigation Board, created under Executive Order 2012-014 is charged with the identifi cation of fl ood-prone areas in the barangays, and the recommendation of necessary infrastructure to be developed to address fl ooding in the city.
66
Naga is Best City (G2C) in FIRST E-GOV AWARDS by Alec Santos
STA. ROSA CITY (November 23) – Naga City was chosen as one of three awardees by the DILG and the National
ICT (Information and Communications Technology) Council of the Philippines (NICP) during the fi rst e-Gov Awards (Jesse M. Robredo awards for ICT excellence).
Mayor John Bongat received the award along with representatives from the local provincial government of Iloilo and Tarlac. Naga was the only city among the three awardees. The e-governance award was initially conceptualized by the late DILG Secretary and former Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo and was later renamed in his honor.
According to the organizers, more than 50 local government units (LGUs) submitted their ICT projects. LGUs had the option of selecting from two categories: best in e-governance for customer empowerment (G2C) and best in e-governance for improving business processes (G2B), of which Naga chose to compete under the G2C category.
36 LGUs from Luzon attended the preliminary judging at Clark Economic Zone on October 30. Competing participants presented their entries to a panel of judges from national government agencies and the private sector. Separate preliminary rounds were conducted for Visayas and Mindanao. The top 3 entries from the Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao groups in each of the categories went thru fi nal judging at the Clark Economic Zone on November 9.
For its entry, Naga City submitted and presented the i-LED program, highlighting the comprehensive and complementary use of existing ICT programs like the computerized Business One-Stop Stop (BOSS) and Electronic Tax Revenue Assessment and Collection (e-TRACS), i-Governance, i-Serve, Geographic Information System for health monitoring and disaster mitigation, Helpline 3000, and the CBMS (Community-based Monitoring System)
to identify various issues in line with the Bongat administration’s priorities on health, housing, education, livelihood and employment, peace and order, cleanliness and environment protection, transparency, accountability, and good governance or H2ELP your CiTy.
The Naga SMILES rebranding of the city website, introduced by the Bongat administration, also revolutionized the use of e-governance towards aggressive city promotions, enhancing transparency and accountability, and improving active engagement through innovative government and customer relations by maximizing the web’s potential.
Reuel Oliver, head of Naga’s Information Technology Offi ce (ITO), Anselmo Maño, systems analyst of the ITO, Paul John Barrosa of the Naga City Investment Board, accompanied by this writer, presented the i-LED program to the panel of judges, underscoring the different ICT programs’ collective function in improving local economic development. Through the various programs under i-LED, the city has been able to provide “focused intervention” thru the use of ICT, identifying specifi c areas of concern.
The i-LED program also features the use of different ICT platforms to gather feedback from constituents, including the city’s offi cial website www.naga.gov.ph, and social media networks like Facebook and Twitter. Naga has also introduced live online updates thru social media during city-wide events. The availability of tracking features also allows the city government to monitor the number of “netizens” or internet citizens reached by updates and offi cial announcements.
67
PATRICIA Evangelista, the youthful and incisive columnist of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, averred that “(Jesse) Robredo is
a diffi cult man to write about because he is a good man, and the existence of a good man demands more from those around him.”
Forty days after Secretary Jesse M. Robre-do’s death, however, I feel that I can no longer use Ms. Evangelista’s statement as an excuse. I must write something about this “good man” notwithstanding the “demands.” Besides, I was given the privilege to have worked with him for more than a quarter of a century!
I fi rst met the Sec (that was the way I addressed him right after President Aquino appointed him as Secretary of the Interior and Local Government) in 1986. Politicized by the events in the aftermath of the assassination of Ninoy Aquino in 1983 and heeding the call of
By Gabriel H. Bordado, Jr., Vice Mayor, City of Naga(This article will form part of a book on the life and times of Jesse Manalastas Robredo.)
Sec. Robredo:
Up closeand personal
President Cory for young professionals to join her government, the Sec, at that time, opted to get out of his well-paying job in a multi-national food conglomerate and try his hand in running a regional government agency, the Bicol River Basin Development Program.
A mutual friend (who later became the godfather in our respective weddings), former Camarines Sur Board Member Ernesto G. Ver-dadero, arranged for me a one-on-one inter-view in the offi ce of the Sec’s elder brother, Butch. The interview lasted for almost an hour. Fortunately, after a couple of days, the feature article based on the interview was published by a national paper. The Sec called me up and offered me the position of public information offi cer at the BRBDP. That was the beginning of our decades-long collaboration.
There was something about the Sec which
68
made me immediately feel at ease but at the same time take cognizance of his innate power to command respect – and even awe. He treat-ed me like a long-lost pal although I hadn’t ever met him before that interview. And prior to my BRBDP stint, I had been drifting from one government entity to another, unable to find my mark or niche. But in the case of the Sec, I was sure that the working relationship would last for long.
At the BRBDP, the Sec used the so-called New Public Management principles (he graduated on the top of his MBA class at UP Diliman) to give the moribund agency a new lease on life. His leadership style, aggressive yet populist, gradually earned the respect and admiration of the jaded BRBDP employees. It also attracted the best and the brightest, including a pretty and intelligent lass from the UP School of Economics named Maria Leonor Gerona (aka Leni). The 21-year-old Leni would soon catch the fancy of the 28-year-old bachelor – a perfect match, it turned out. (Did you know that Leni reported for work at the BRBDP on August 18, 1986? And August 18 was also the date when Sec figured in that fatal plane crash.)
Despite dwindling support from
international funding agencies, the BRBDP thrived under the Sec’s stewardship. Everybody seemed to be inspired to work not just because of the prevailing leadership by example template but also because of the brewing Jesse-Leni romance!
At first, I never noticed anything unusual. It was customary for the Sec to freely mingle with the employees. He queued up at the office canteen during lunch breaks, eschewing any special treatment. He mixed it up with the boys after office hours. Occasionally, the Sec boarded the office bus which ferried the employees from Naga City to the BRBDP office in Pili, Camarines Sur. This one puzzled me a bit because the Sec had a service vehicle. And he refused to take a seat, preferring to clamber up the rusty handrails of the rickety bus. Of course, I also had to do the same thing! I learned later that it was his way of making “pa-charming” to his ladylove Leni! (They were married a few months later in simple Catholic rites in Manila).
But not everything proved to be a bed of roses! The almost idyllic set-up at the BRBDP was shattered by the political maneuverings of the powers-that-be. Remember that it was the time of the Officers-in-Charge (OICs), a
69
unique offshoot of the Cory Administration’s revolutionary period when people thought to be loyal to the dictatorial regime were weeded out of the government. It was also the time when the Sec’s true mettle was tested to the hilt—a defi ning moment, as it were.
One day, the nephew of a powerful politician dropped by the Sec’s offi ce carrying a letter from a high ranking national offi cial. The letter essentially directed the Sec to replace his incumbent deputy director (supposedly a Marcos loyalist) with the politician’s nephew.
The Sec vehemently refused to do so, arguing that the incumbent deputy director was a career executive and had the full credentials and experience for the job. The politician’s nephew left with nary a word. After a few days, he came back, armed with a letter ousting the Sec himself. He was also backed up by his uncle and a platoon of Philippine Constabulary troopers in full battle gear.
Providentially, the night before, somebody tipped the Sec and I about the imminent “invasion.” The employees (except for four who were relatives of the powerful politician) almost acted as one in defending the beleaguered Sec. After contacting the local and national media, we decided to barricade the entire BRBDP program offi ce and set up a virtual commune ala- The Diliman Republic of the 1970s.
All through the unfolding drama, the Sec never buckled under pressure, prompting one employee to remark that “this man is worth dying for.” The politician, his nephew, and the PC troopers backed off. For six days and six nights, we maintained the barricade, our morale boosted by the Sec’s unwavering faith in justice and fair play. This also encouraged the residents of Naga City and the adjoining municipalities to support the commune by way of sending food and other goods.
On the seventh day, the barricade ended when a temporary restraining order was is-sued by the regional trial court. But, for all intents and purposes, the amazing saga of the Sec had just begun.(Bicol Mail)
70
Bongat calls for stronger tourism ties
TAKING on the call for collaborative partnerships, Mayor
John Bongat assured tourism key players and stakeholders in the 11th Bicol Regional Tourism Congress that the City Government of Naga is adopting the principle of sharing and cooperation in pursuing its tourism program.
Bongat, who leads the Metro Naga Development Council (MNDC) as chairman, mentioned the collaborative efforts being undertaken by the Metro Naga towns on the establishment of various tourism circuits in the 16-member Metro Naga.
The program was organized and is being undertaken with the Local Government Support Program-Local Economic Development (LGSP-LED) of the Department of the Interior and Local
Government (DILG).The development
of tourism circuits is aimed at providing various tourism destinations in the area with access roads and road network linking the clustered tourism sites scattered in the metropolitan area.
Bongat told stakeholders that the same principle is adopted in carrying out different undertakings by the city government not only in the tourism sector.
He said his leadership will be fully supportive in all areas of possible engagements with key tourism players in government and
71
the private sector which are aimed at promoting Metro Naga’s and the region’s tourism sites.
In its continuous effort to promote tourism and encourage more visitors to come to Naga and other cities and municipalities in the Bicol Region, Bongat said the local government has been improving the city’s road networks and undertaking the construction of different infrastructure projects to be able to propel the tourism industry in this part of the country.
Immediately after he assumed offi ce in 2010, Bongat created the Arts, Culture and Tourism Offi ce (ACTO) as a regular offi ce of the city government.
“I believe that by putting up that offi ce, which actually entailed minimal cost, signifi cant development has been achieved in improving our local economy not only in the short term, but also in the long term,” he said.
Bongat said that right now the local government is in the thick of conducting studies to develop certain areas in the city as major tourism areas in partnership with those in the
business sector who may be given incentives in return.
Among those considered for possible grant of tax incentives are tourism-related establishments in the East Highland zone of the city or the upland barangays at the foot of Mt. Isarog.
“We fi rmly believe that we cannot do these projects alone, we have to be collaborative to become effective in pursuing projects that will bring in more people to our region and to the City of Naga,” he said.
Bongat also stressed that the city takes pride in all the initiatives that it is undertaking, especially in pushing for effective government-customer relationship, which is the essence of the city’s establishment of ICT-based processes.
Naga City won the “Best in eGov Customer Empowerment Award (City Category)” in the nationwide competition organized by the 1st DILG/NICP eGov Awards (Jesse M. Robredo Award of Excellence in ICT for Good Governance) last November 23, this year, in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
Bongat ended his message by saying that by promoting Naga, the city government is also promoting other cities and provinces in the Bicol Region. “After all, tourism should not be selfi sh, it should be collaborative,” he concluded. (with excerpts from Bicol Mail)
72
IT all started as a simple endeavor until the City Government of Naga,
under the leadership of Mayor John Bongat, found it as a potent tool in realizing the objective of providing the Nagueño with a better and meaningful life.
With Pilimania, which is appropriately regarded now as an advocacy by every Nagueño, LGU Naga “can expect that its campaign on environment protection will achieve significant results along with its goal to improve the city’s economy,” said Naga First Lady Farah Bongat, who is the chairperson of the project’s Executive Committee.
“Pili’s edible nut, now a fast-growing delicacy among domestic and foreign tourists, is seen to enhance the city’s One Barangay One Product (OBOP) program while the tree itself works to improve the city’s air-shed quality by lowering the ill-effects of carbon monoxide since the plant exhibits a high absorption rate for the toxic gas,” First Lady Farah said.
Ms. Bongat added that three to four years from now, the first batch of the 9,829 pili saplings which were planted on June 7, 2011 when the project was launched will already be fully grown and will begin to produce fruits.
Mike D. Rico, Pilimania Project Officer, said the city government of Naga had organized at least three citywide mass planting activities which were undertaken on June 12, 2011, June 22, 2012, and most recently last November 22.
City Environment and Natural Resources Office (City ENRO) placed at 6% the mortality rate of the plants in the city which are being taken care of by barangay
officials in the 27 barangays, Pilimania patrollers, civic groups, and private corporations under a public-private partnership.
Rico said the highlights of Pilimania’s final season activities covering the November 2012-January 2013 period, include:
• Planting of the 30th thousand pili tree that coincided with the ground-breaking of the Waste-to-Energy facility in Barangay San Isidro last November 22, this year.
• Giving tribute to project partners by putting up a Pilimania Gallery in one of the malls in the city on the third week of February 2013. The event will coincide with the awarding rites for the barangays, NGOs, schools,
Pilimania: Achieving a rosy economy for a greener Naga
From left to right: DA RO5 representative Rose Imperial, First Lady Farah Bongat, Mayor John Bongat, Vice Mayor Gabriel Bordado, Jr., and then Acting City Agricul-turist Frank Mendoza (partly hidden) at the presscon of the launch of Pilimania in 2011.
73
corporate sponsors and other private and public organizations and agencies which have given their outstanding participation in the undertaking.
• Ground-breaking of the Pilimon statue as a tourist landmark in front of the Naga City Central Bus Terminal at CBD II by February 2013, and;
• Coming up with a software for barangay mapping of pili plantations in the city and a database which profi les the city’s pili plantation owners and farmers.
Environment offi cer Oscar Orozco of the City ENRO said that “the activities are part of Mayor John Bongat’s priority concern to institutionalize the Pilimania project and give recognition to those who partnered with the city government in this advocacy.”
ENRO data show that among the city’s 27 barangays, Barangay Carolina has the biggest number of pili seedlings planted with 5,816 followed by Barangay Pacol’s 4,632 and Barangay San Isidro’s 1,083.
The same data also disclosed that under the same project, barangay organizations along with private individuals and groups were able to grow around 15,426 pili trees at the Naga View Adventist College, Mt. Isarog Natural Park and in different farms in Panicuason.(with excerpts from Bicol Mail)
PILIMANIA TALLY OF LIVE TREES
In a light mood, the fi rst couple is seen with PB Alice Saba of Carolina in one of the mass planti ngs in an upper barangay.
Barangay/Institution/Individual
No. of trees
Abella 25
Bagumbayan Norte 50
Bagumbayan Sur 118
Balatas 462
Calauag 73
Carolina 5,816
Cararayan 1,644
Concepcion Grande 495
Concepcion Pequeña 310
Del Rosario 1,153
Dayangdang 54
Dinaga 11
Igualdad 31
Jacob 20
Lerma 8
Liboton 84
Mabolo 33
Pacol 4,632
Peñafrancia 166
Sabang 260
San Felipe 556
San Francisco 19
Sta. Cruz 84
San Isidro 1,083
Tabuco 32
Triangulo 144
Tinago 30
Barangays (total): 17,393
Mt. Isarog Natural Park/PUCCompound/Brgy. Panicuason (total):
15,426
Individuals/Institutions (total): 969
GRAND TOTAL: 33,788
74
FIRST opened to the public in 1995, the Bicol Science and Technology Centrum has grown through the years to become
a favorite destination for educational tours of schools and students coming from around the Bicol Region and the nearby province of Quezon. And because of the remarkable support of the new City Administration under the adept leadership of Mayor John Bongat, BSTC today is the longest existing and the only remaining active Science Centrum in the country operated by a local government unit.
Since assuming offi ce in 2010, Mayor John Bongat has made a compelling impact by making known and putting into action his administration’s “Naga SMILES to the World” credo, which includes uplifting education and boosting tourism in the City–two aspects where BSTC falls into–Science Centrum as a regional non-formal learning institution (Study in Naga) and Science Centrum as a uniquely built edifi ce attracting visitors (See Naga, Experience Naga). These two intrinsic features made BSTC an important element of the City’s thrust to progress and development.
With the continuous support of the City Administration, several exhibits and equipment acquisition have been made and various facilities and galleries renovated that encouraged an approximate 174,000 visitors, mostly students, to visit Naga City and the Science Centrum and serving at least 1,175 public and private schools from around the Region from 2010-2012. BSTC also served the more than seventy-two EduCare Centers in the City and regularly imparts Science and Technology (S&T) education to Nagueños
in the twenty-seven Barangays as part of its outreach program implemented thru its annual Summer Family Day Program.
It is Mayor Bongat’s wish to have a full and state-of-the-art
Planetarium System installed at the BSTC and the introduction
of new and more appealing approaches in terms of gallery presentation and/or activity implementation. From this concept, he initiated and requested
for personnel from the Science Education Institute
of DOST-Manila to visit the Centrum, conduct an evaluation
and recommend, based from the assessment, what needs to be done to
further improve and develop the BSTC. It is confi rmed that on January 7, 2013,
Ms. Ruby Cristobal of the Science Education Institute, DOST-Manila, will come over to the Science Centrum to conduct an appraisal and hopefully provide needed technical and/or fi nancial assistance that will propel the Centrum to a new and higher level.
BicolTechnology Centrum
Where Educationand Tourism Blend
andScienceby Nestor Villanea
World” credo, which includes uplifting World” credo, which includes uplifting education and boosting tourism in education and boosting tourism in the City–two aspects where BSTC the City–two aspects where BSTC falls into–Science Centrum as a falls into–Science Centrum as a
With the continuous support of With the continuous support of
It is Mayor Bongat’s wish to It is Mayor Bongat’s wish to have a full and state-of-the-art have a full and state-of-the-art
Planetarium System installed at Planetarium System installed at the BSTC and the introduction the BSTC and the introduction
of new and more appealing of new and more appealing
Science Education Institute Science Education Institute of DOST-Manila to visit the of DOST-Manila to visit the
Centrum, conduct an evaluation Centrum, conduct an evaluation and recommend, based from the and recommend, based from the
75
a suitable location for the facility, a ten-hectare expanse in Barangay San Isidro on the outskirts of the city, as stipulated in the agreement.
At present, the city operates a dumpsite with a materials recovery facility (MRF) in Barangay Balatas. With the expected completion of the waste-to-energy plant in two years’ time, Naga is expected to produce enough electricity to augment its growing power needs.
Aside from the electricity generated, the facility is also expected to produce several by-products like hydrogen and methanol, which can be used for cooking or as automotive fuel.
The plant’s technology is different from other facilities which still make use of incineration, a process prohibited under Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid
First of its kind: Construction of Waste-to-Energy plant starts in Naga
by Alec Santos
NAGA is assured of a brighter and greener future.
With shovels in hand, Mayor John Bongat and other city offi cials together with representatives from the Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Korean fi rm CJ Global Green Energy and Hitachi Zosen, a Japanese conglomerate, led the groundbreaking ceremonies at Barangay San Isidro, this city, on November 22, marking the start of construction of a 3-billion Peso waste-to-energy plant expected to produce initially 8–10 megawatt-hours of power from 100 metric tons of garbage daily.
The facility, the fi rst of its kind in the country approved by the DOE, makes use of gassifi cation to convert solid waste into electricity without combustion.
Gassifi cation is a process which breaks down solid carbon-based garbage into their basic elements. Garbage collected by the city’s Solid Waste Management Offi ce (SWMO) is fi rst crushed into smaller pieces before being dissolved in a high-pressure and high-temperature chamber.
The entire process, where steam is produced that drives a turbine to generate electricity, has been cleared by the DENR as environment-friendly.
The agreement formalizing the construction of the plant in Naga was signed by Mayor Bongat and representatives of CJ Global Green Energy in August 2010, a month after he assumed offi ce, formalizing an earlier Memorandum of Understanding signed in early 2010 by then Mayor Jesse M. Robredo. Since then, the city identifi ed and purchased
The perspecti ve of the waste-to-energy facility that will soon rise in Brgy. San Isidro.
Mayor Bongat and Yeon Joo Choi of CJ Global plant the 30,000th pili seeding under the Pilimania project during the ceremonial ground-breaking/laying of capsule of the waste-to-energy facility at Brgy. San Isidro.
76
IN close collaboration with the private sector and barangay constituents, the City Government of Naga, through the Arts,
Culture and Tourism Offi ce (ACTO) and the Lingkod Barangay Offi ce (LBO), held this year’s Kamundagan Festival with great fanfare, featuring Centro Naga Business Club’s (CNBC) Festival of Trees, Christmas Window Dressing contest and the “Parolan sa Panganiban” (Festival of Lanterns).
Marking two decades of the Kamundagan Festival, the City Government, under the leadership of Mayor John Bongat, further enhanced its partnership with CNBC, headed by Pilar de Guzman. CNBC co-sponsored with the city the annual Festival of Trees, a competition for the best-designed Christmas trees by business establishments in Centro Naga. The trees were displayed for the duration of the festival at Plaza Rizal and Plaza Quezon.
CNBC’s Christmas Window Dressing competition, now on its second year, was introduced to encourage local store owners to make their stores more attractive to local consumers as well as to tourists.
This year’s Kamundagan Festival went into high gear with the Parade of Lanterns.
Naga celebrates Kamundagan Festival’s 20th yearby Gerald O. Enguero
Naga celebrates Kamundagan Festi val’s 20th year: One of the Giant Lanterns put up along Panganiban Drive during the whole month of December to enliven the spirit of Christmas.
Stallholders at the People’s Mall also parti cipated in the event.
Kamundagan Festi val 2012 opening ceremony on Dec. 1, 2012 with Mayor John G. Bongat, City Hall offi cials and personnel and residents of the 27 barangays of Naga City headed by their respecti ve offi cials.
77
Held last December 1, it was participated in by constituents from the city’s barangays as well as by city hall employees. The mardi gras-style parade featured the various 10-foot parol entries of the barangays featuring a kaleidoscope of lights and colors, cheered on by avid supporters from their respective barangays.
Twenty-one barangays displayed their giant Christmas lanterns along Panganiban Drive, at the rotonda and Plaza Rizal from December 1-31.
Kamundagan Festival, a month-long event in Naga commemorating the city’s birth and rebirth, was conceived way back in 1992 during the second term of then mayor Jesse M. Robredo. The festival aims
to perpetuate Naga’s history by “looking back” at the city’s traditional values-laden culture and family life so that the present and future generations will not lose sight of their remarkable past.
Atty. Leni Gerona-Robredo, who was present during many of the activities held in December, said that she remembered how the festival was pioneered during the time of the late Interior Secretary Robredo,
In an interview with the press, Atty. Leni thanked organizers for preserving the value of solidarity, and keeping alive traditions in Naga.
Mayor Bongat praised the CNBC for their continued partnership with the city government and the organizers, for ensuring barangay participation.
78
A strategy designed to promote infant and young child
feeding and maternal health here is being set up now as the international agency originally funding the program under the Millennium Development Goals is about to turn over this year to the city government its full implementation.
Alongside the operationalization of such mechanism, the city government, under the leadership of Mayor John Bongat, and accompanied by business leaders from the Metro Naga Chamber
of Commerce and Industry (MNCCI), attended the blessing and inauguration of the Php500,000 Naga City Breastfeeding Center, located at the main building of the City Hall compound.
The Center maintains a corner where mothers can extract their milk by way of breastfeeding pumps and an area where they can express their milk with their babies. The fi rst LGU-established breastfeeding facility in the Bicol Region, it is also equipped with audio-visual facility and reading materials that contain information on infant and maternal health care.
Mayor John Bongat said the Center will cater not only to the employees of the city government, but also to private individuals and clients of the LGU.
Teresita A. del Castillo, head of City Population and Nutrition Offi ce (CPNO), said the Center will be manned by a designated offi cer-of-the-day, a Barangay Nutrition Scholar (BNS) who will also help the CPNO in conducting counseling services for mothers on infant and child feeding.
As the city’s partner, MNCCI has encouraged businessmen to put up breastfeeding stations in
Naga CityBreastfeeding Center opens650 volunteers trained
Another First in Naga
79
City Nutriti on and Populati on Offi cer Teresita del Casti llo (right) accompanies Councilor Nene de Asis (behind), Vice Mayor Gabriel Bordado, Jr. (partly hidden), and Councilor Ray-An Rentoy (second from right) during the blessing of the breastf eeding center at the City Hall compound.
Mayor Bongat delivers an inspiring message aft er the blessing of the new facility.
their establishments to allow mother-employees to express milk even during working hours.
The construction of the Center was mandated by City Ordinance 2011-032 authored by City Councilor Cecilia Veluz-De Asis, chairperson of the Sangguniang Panlungsod’s committee on Family, Women and Gender Development and co-chairwoman of the Committee on Children.
The ordinance also seeks for the establishment of similar facilities in commercial establishments in the city to allow lactating mothers to engage in exclusive breastfeeding even while in their respective workstations.
The establishment of breastfeeding centers is a strategy being adopted by the City Government of Naga to address poverty and hunger and to reduce the infant mortality rate--goals that are set in the UN-sanctioned
Millennium Development Goals.
To complement this measure, the city government will also fi eld 650 trained peer counselors who will serve as force multipliers in the implementation of the citywide breastfeeding advocacy.
He said the trainings will help qualify volunteers to become partners in realizing at least three Millennium Development Goals: in the eradication of extreme hunger and poverty, reduction of infant mortality rate, and improvement of maternal health.
The CPNO also held a series of trainings for female volunteer groups from the city’s 27 barangays. The series, which focused on infant and young child feeding, was conducted from November 5-10 at a hotel here in Naga.
To be armed with appropriate knowledge
and understanding on breastfeeding, the volunteers will be fi elded immediately after the training to their own neighborhoods along with Barangay Health Workers (BHW) and Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS).
The City Government of Naga thru the CPNO has been actively pursuing the campaign on breastfeeding since 2010, a task that enables the LGU to achieve a commendable accomplishment for decimating malnutrition among infants.
Bongat said such feat creates a “bayanihan” ethnicity among Nagueños, thus the achievement of an overwhelming number of volunteers who want to work along with the city government in the aforementioned thrusts of MDG. (Bicol Mail)
80
AS this city celebrated its 38th Nutrition Month, top performing Barangay Nutrition Committees,
Barangay Nutrition Scholars, partner civic organizations, and stakeholders were given due recognition for helping the city government sustain its reputation as a consistent national Hall of Fame awardee in the fi eld of effective health care and nutrition.
With this year’s theme, “Pagkain ng gulay ugaliin, araw-araw itong ihain!,” a culminating program led by City Mayor John G. Bongat, city nutrition committee chairman, was held August 1 at the Regent Hotel Convention Center here.
City Nutrition and Population Offi cer Teresita A. del Castillo said that aside from the usual awards, winners were also selected in the new programs introduced, such as “Taranoman sa Tamang Nutrisyon,” “Gulayan sa Barangay Contest,” and the “On-The-Spot Junior Veggies Cooking Contest.”
“Taranoman sa Tamang Nutrisyon” is a program that aims to improve the nutritional status of school children by using vegetables as main ingredients in feeding programs. It also aims to encourage school offi cials and pupils to plant vegetables and fruit trees as means of producing healthy food for school,
home and community.The program was implemented by
different public elementary schools in Naga. Twelve schools were cited for their commendable implementation of the program and were awarded with plaques of commendation and garden tools.
For Small Area Category: Carolina Elementary School, fi rst place; Naga Central School I, second; and Concepcion Grande Elementary School, third.
For Medium Area Category: Dr. Domingo Abcede Elementary School, fi rst place; Don Manuel Abella Elementary School, second place; and Mabolo Elementary School, third place.
For Large Area Category: Panicuason Elementary School, fi rst place; Villa Grande Elementary School, second place; and Morada Ramos Elementary School, third place.
For High School Category: Camarines Sur National High School, fi rst place; Carolina High School, second place; and Don Leon Mercado High School, third place.
The Regional Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar (BNS) award is aimed at evaluating the performance of BNS and checking improvement of the nutritional status of every barangay. Outstanding
by Gerald O. Enguero
Naga Nutrition Awardees Named
81
Barangay Nutrition Scholar, Marilou Jimenez, received a cash prize of Php2,000 and a plaque of commendation.
With Concepcion Grande as a Hall of Fame Awardee after having won as Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Committee for the past three years, this year’s most Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Committee went to Barangay Carolina that won a cash prize of Php5,000. Second place went to Barangay Del Rosario with a cash prize of Php3,000, and third place went to Barangay Sabang with a cash prize of Php1,000.
The “Gulayan sa Barangay” Contest was introduced last year to encourage people in the city’s 27 barangays to plant vegetables and fruit trees for their feeding programs while interacting with fellow members in the community.
For Small Area category, Barangay Tinago was adjudged fi rst place and won a cash prize of Php4,000, followed by Concepcion Pequeña with Php3,500 cash prize, and Barangay Mabolo with Php3,000 cash prize.
For Medium Area category, Barangay Sta.
Cruz won fi rst place and received Php4,000 cash. Barangay Triangulo was named second place with Php3,500 cash prize, while Barangay Calauag was awarded third place with Php3,000 cash prize.
For Large Area Category, Barangay San Felipe garnered the fi rst place with a cash prize of Php4,000 followed by Barangay Abella, second place with Php3,500 cash prize, and by Barangay Concepcion Grande, third place with Php3,000 cash prize.
In the “On the Spot Junior Veggies Cooking Contest,” Juana Marie Roman of Barangay Tabuco, won fi rst place and a cash prize of Php3,000; Crisalyn Harriette A. Vida of Barangay Tinago, second with Php2,000 cash; and Mary Jane San Agustin of Barangay Cararayan, third with Php1,000 cash. Participants in the contest were aged 10-12 years old.
Del Castillo said, “We decided to create a program which includes the children in our city for them to value more the importance of nutritious food.” (Bicol Mail)
Taranoman sa Tamang Nutrisyon awarding ceremonies: (L-R) City Nutriti on and Populati on Offi cer Teresita Del Casti llo, Councilors Raoul Rosales, Nene De Asis and Babet Lavadia, Naga Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Emma Cornejo, Nati onal Nutriti on Council Offi cers Ms. Arlene R. Reario and Ms. Carolina Batallones with Mayor John Bongat, Vice Mayor Gabriel Bordado, Jr. and representati ves of the Camarines Sur Nati onal High School, 1st placer in the high school category.
82
THE city government highlighted the importance of
responsible parenthood and family planning during the celebration of the Population and Development Week on November 23 to 29.
Joy Macaraig of the Naga City Population and Nutrition Offi ce said that the week-long celebration featured the services of their offi ce including the role of Barangay Service Point Offi cers (BSPO) especially in carrying out their annual program regarding population, poverty and governance.
The week-long celebration included the hanging of
information streamers in the main thoroughfares of the city particularly in the 27 barangays of Naga and in the downtown area during the opening day. On November 26, an On-the-Spot Poster Making Contest was held at the LCC Activity Center. More than 40 competing students from Grade 6 to 4th Year High School, both from public and private schools, vied for honors in the said competition.
All family planning volunteers from the 27 barangays of the city also underwent a re-orientation seminar on November 27. Macaraig stated that they attribute the success of their
family planning program to the BSPOs in the barangays.
The following day, all family planning volunteers were also invited to attend a family welfare club seminar regarding the rights of women, done in coordination with Bantay Familia through its Chairperson, City Councilor Nene De Asis.
One of the highlights of the said activity was the gathering of 250 Responsible Parenting Movement (RPM) representatives coming from the 27 barangays of Naga City. (MAL/LSM-PIA5 Camarines Sur/reports from Jason Neola)
by Analiza S. Macatangay
Naga City joins Population andDevelopment Week Celebration
83
through information drive
IN observance of this year’s Clean Air Month in November, the City
Government of Naga, through the City Environment and Natural Resources Offi ce (ENRO), conducted a series of fora and Information Education Campaign (IEC) activities to increase awareness among Naga’s citizens.
ENRO head Oscar Orozco said that their offi ce started conducting IECs and seminars for transport groups and operators in September and covered all 27 barangays of the City before the end of the year. The IECs and seminars focus on air pollution awareness and climate change adaptation and mitigation.
According to the records of the Air Quality Monitoring Station of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the percentage of air pollution within Naga saw a dramatic decrease from 102 percent in 2010 to 70 percent this year.
Orozco also mentioned the regular Road Side Monitoring in partnership with the city’s Public Safety Offi ce (PSO) and other local government units (LGUs). He said that the acquisition last year of an Opacimeter, an equipment that is used to determine if a vehicle exceeds emission standards, has made it possible to identify vehicles and motorists violating the Clean Air Act. The device is used to determine if vehicles exceed the allowed carbon monoxide emission which is 2.5 percent as stated by the internal rules and regulations of the Act.
Of the 197 vehicles tested from June to October of this year, 80 failed. This is, however, lower compared to last year’s record which revealed that out of 231 tested vehicles on the road, 109 failed.
City Ordinance 99-084 prohibits smoke-belching vehicles from plying the city’s roads and highways and
provides penalties to persons whose vehicles exceed the allowed carbon monoxide emission. For diesel-fueled vehicles to be considered non-pollutant, they should only emit at the most 50 percent pollution rate, while, for gasoline-fueled motor vehicles, their emission should not exceed six (6) percent pollution rate.
Under the ordinance, violators are required to pay a fi ne; for trimobiles, motorcycles, motorized bancas and stationary engines and equipment, fi rst offense amounts to Php500, Php1,000 for second offense and Php1,500 for third offense; for owner-type vehicles, multicab and jeepney drivers, fi rst offense amounts to Php1,000, Php1,500 for second offense and Php2,500 for third offense; for bus and truck drivers, fi rst offense amounts to Php2,000, Php2,500 for second offense and Php3,000 for third offense.
by Gerald O. Enguero
NAGA MARKS CLEAN AIR MONTH
Anti -smoke belching team of the City ENRO conducts roadside monitoring of vehicles along the Maharlika Highway in Barangay Del Rosario, Naga City. The team is spearheaded by City Environment and Natural Resources Offi cer Oscar Orozco and Jess Bongalonta.
84
Rediscovering the lowly kalunggay
and baligang
Putting a premium on high-value organic products
BY giving the lowly kalunggay a new role other than being served in the dining table
and by making baligang (lipote) a healthy base for wine, not only as the favorite sweet-sour indigenous
85
Enterprising NagueñAS lorna daud & analiza ordasin focus
fruit, Nagueña micro-entrepreneurs Analiza Ordas and Lorna Daud saw a brighter hope of running a family business that can open opportunities for others as well.
Both businesses began in 2008, Analiza’s Moringa Green Health and Lorna’s Yulaik Food Products are among the 45 barangay-based micro-enterprises being assisted by Mayor John G. Bongat’s Growing Opportunities for Wealth (GrOW) Negosyo program.
The program, which started with only nine micro-enterprises immediately after Mayor Bongat assumed offi ce on June 30, 2010, aims to achieve a stronger economy for the city through the establishment and operation of micro-enterprises at the barangay level.
Right now, the city government thru the Arts, Culture and Tourism Offi ce (ACTO) and the Metro Naga Public Employment Service Offi ce’s (Metro PESO) Enterprise Development Center are exploring the possibility of including these establishments and their products in commercial outlets frequented by domestic and foreign tourists.
The establishment of the micro-enterprises has given way to a considerable number of residents in the city’s 27 barangays gaining employment.
Similar to winemaker Yulaik, Moringa Green Health’s regular clientele hail from different regions across the country. They have a growing market overseas, giving the impression that the kalunggay (moringa)-based drinks, vitamins and personal care products manufactured in Barangay Calauag, here, are world-class.
Yulaik’s red wines made from tanglad (lemon grass), bognay, mango, and passion fruit, especially the “Lipote (baligang),” are globally competitive products that earned admiration from organizers and exhibitors at the 16th Macau International Trade and Investment Fair held in Macau, China on October 20-23, last year.
Both enterprises, along with other businesses under Grow Negosyo are benefi ciaries of trainings, funding assistance, machine acquisition program, marketing
and promotional services of the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and other government agencies mandated to promote the development of small and micro-enterprises (SMEs) in the country.
Metro Naga Public Employment Service Offi ce (Metro PESO) Project Development Offi cer and Grow Negosyo Project Offi cer Mike Rico said the business establishments are being assisted by the city government of Naga thru the project initiated by the city mayor, which provides them access to micro-fi nance and business development services with the goal of developing excellent quality products that can contribute to the city’s economic growth.
Here’s a toast from entrepreneur Lorna Daud.
86
PROVING once again Naga City’s ability to maintain security during All Saints’ and All Souls’ days, the City Government,
under the leadership of Mayor John Bongat, created an Inter-Agency Joint Operations Center (JOC) patterned after the Peñafrancia Festival JOC to monitor and ensure peace and order in the city.
The JOC was activated to anticipate any concerns that may require the immediate response of frontline agencies like the Phil-ippine National Police (PNP), Naga’s Public Safety Offi ce (PSO), and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in the lead-up to and during the two-day religious affair.
Emergency response teams composed of personnel from PNP, PSO, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offi ce (CDRRMO), City Health Offi ce, Naga City Hospital, Bicol Medical Center (BMC), BFP, and the Philippine
Joint eff orts make Undas in Naga peaceful by Gerald O. Enguero
National Red Cross (PNRC) were stationed at the city’s cemeteries.
“In this year’s Undas, we made use of the concept of the Peñafrancia Festival JOC, a ‘one-stop shop’ where essential personnel deliver 24/7 service in key areas. In previous years, agencies had their own deployment plans,” said Ernesto Elcamel, head of the CDR-RMO.
A traffi c rerouting plan was also imple-mented to ensure smooth traffi c fl ow, par-ticularly along thoroughfares running along cemeteries.
Future plans for the improvement of the JOC include additional personnel and facili-ties and the deployment of mobile command centers to ensure rapid response to incidents. Plans also include the capability-enhancement of personnel, allowing them to perform vari-ous functions.
Personnel of the Philippine Nati onal Police (PNP) and other government and private agencies were fi elded from the Joint Operati on Center (JOC) to various cemeteries in the city to maintain the peace and order situati on during the commemorati on of Undas.
87
Best in e-Gov Customer Empowerment Award – Best City. Given by the organizers of the Jesse M.Robredo Award of Excellence in ICT for Good Governance on November23 at Sta. Rosa, Laguna;this award recognizes thecity government’s initia-tives in using informationcommunication techno-logy tools and practices toimprove public services,transparency and goodgovernance.
National “Freedom Project”Award. Given by theFriedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom inrecognition of the city government’s efforts inmainstreaming migration
in local development atHotel H20 in Luneta lastDecember 4. (See related story in this issue )
National Best PESO Awards.Given to Naga’s PublicEmployment Services Office for being the top regional performer duringthe 12th National PESOCongress at Baguio City onOctober 11, 2011.
National Recognition fromthe Ateneo de Manila Schoolof Government. Given inrecognition of the city’sparticipation in the Government Watch (G-Watch) program of theAteneo de Manila Univer-sity. The recognition wasgiven thru the Departmentof the Interior and LocalGovernment and the Delegation of the European Union to thePhilippines at the CrownePlaza Galleria in Mandaluyong City lastApril 26.
Seal of Good Housekeepingfor Local Governments.Given in recognition of thecity government’s exemplary performance ininternal housekeeping inthe areas of good planning, sound fiscalmanagement, transparency and account-ability, and performancemanagement. The awardwas given at the La PiazzaConvention Center inLegazpi City last June 1.
Regional Award for Outstanding Local ProjectMonitoring Committee.Given by the RegionalProject Monitoring Committee (RPMC) of theRegional DevelopmentCouncil at the EstevezHall, NEDA Region V, inLegazpi City on July 6.
T HE City Government of Naga,led by Mayor John Bongat,ended 2012 in high spirits.
What with eight more significantawards garnered by the hardworkingBongat administration throughoutthe year.
“These achievements are not minealone, they are the product of theentire city hall team, from the elective officials down to the lastemployee,” the Mayor claims.
The eight awards given to the city to recognize its programs and initiatives were:
88
Regional Recognition for thecity government’s sustainedexemplary performance in theimplementation of RA 9003,otherwise known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management (ESWM) Act of2000. Given in view of thecity’s practice of segregationat source, segregated collection and the establish-ment and operationalizationof materials recovery facilities. It was given duringthe 11th year anniversary ofthe enactment of ESWM Actof 2000 at DENR-EMB RegionV Office in Rawis, LegazpiCity on January 30.
Regional Finalist in the 2012Gawad Pamana ng Lahi (citycategory). Given during theRegional Forum on LocalGovernance held at La PiazzaConvention Center in LegazpiCity on October 23.
The major regional and national awards received bythe Bongat administration in2011 include:
National Best PESO Awards(Component City Category).Given to Naga’s Public Employment Services Officefor being the top regionalperformer during the 11thNational PESO Congress atDavao City on October 5,2011.
Outstanding Pabasa sa Nutrisyon Award. Given inrecognition of Naga’s outstanding implementationof the Pabasa sa NutrisyonProgram for the year 2010 bythe Philippine Association ofNutrition, Inc. at Laoag City,Ilocos Norte on July 7, 2011.
Panata ko sa Bayan Award –Gawad Paglilingkod sa Sambayanan (GAPAS). Given inrecognition of Naga as theModel LGU for the Implementation of Day CareServices during the 60th Anniversary of the Department of Social WelfareDevelopment in Quezon Cityon January 26, 2011.
“We in the city governmentreassure our fellow Nagueñosthat we will always strive for excellence in public service and in governance,”Mayor Bongat says.
“The recognitions we have reaped over the years are a fitting reminder that weshould always do our best the bestway we can and in the best way we know how,” the inspired Mayor asserts.
89
Ten Little Things a Proud Nagueño Should Doby Mayor John
