By CET DEMATERA
LEGAZPI CITY---“Good house-keeping” paves the way for the re-election of Albay Gov. Joey Salceda as chairman of the Regional Development Council for Bicol, even writing history for being unopposed for the first time, leaders and heads of RDC-member agencies across the region admitted yesterday.
Maria Nini Ravanilla, Bicol tourism director, said that Salceda is the one who had personally requested the Globe Telecoms Incorporated to transfer its submarine cable installation from Donsol, Sorsogon to Albay, a move that had prevented the potential disturbance of the habitat of whale sharks, locally known as Butanding, of which their interaction with tourists has now contributed multi-million peso revenues to the country’s tourism industry.
Ravanilla said that the Albay governor usually takes the initiative of offering any help he could in any activity her office is doing.
“Gov. Joey is really very supportive in all our major activities. He does not want very long discussion. He wants action right away,” Ravanilla said.
Landrico Dalida Jr, chief of the Legazpi City forecasting station for Bicol of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), admitted that Salceda is providing them all out support to improve their capabilities by upgrading their facilities.
Dalida said that Salceda, as Bicol RDC chair, is among those government officials who made representation with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) which resulted to the country’s acquisition of at least three state-of-the-art rain-gauge measuring apparatus, Doppler radars, one of which is presently being constructed in Bato, Catanduanes.
Dalida said the re-elected Bicol RDC head also initiated technical works for the offering of Bachelor of Science in Meteorology course in partnership with the state-run Bicol University, which if would materialize, provide the country with enough weathermen without studying abroad.
Even RDC Masbate private sector representative Fr. Leo Casas, who was elected Salceda’s co-chairman to the council, admitted that the former economic adviser of the Arroyo administration has played in the past three years significant role as RDC chairman.
"A distinct privilege as RDC Co-Chairman of Salceda to sit in awe and learn from the Chairman for the past three years and witness how RDC played a significant role in the growth prospects of Bicol". Casas said.
Legazpi City Mayor Geraldine Rosal, who moved to close Salceda’s nomination and was unanimously approved by the RDC members last week, said that the Albay governor sees no political color or makes special distinction in extending help to the city government.
“Gov. Joey is really very supportive, especially to programs that would uplift the plight of the people,” Rosal said.
Salceda’s re-election to the RDC-Bicol chairmanship took place in the same day that the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) declared Albay as the best local government unit and received the 2009 Excellence in Local Governance Award, and best in Disaster Risk Reduction and Management.
Salceda’s unopposed re-election last week was in fact a contrast when he first ran in 2007 as RDC chair against Camarines Sur Gov. L-Ray Villafuerte. There Salceda got eight votes as against 32 votes for Villafuerte. But then President Arroyo though named her economic adviser as Bicol RDC chairman.
Also considered as Salceda’s big achievement was when a week after he was named by the United Nations (UN) as campaign champion for disaster risk reduction, JICA has granted Albay some P944-million for the construction of evacuation buildings and putting up of the country’s first flood forecasting and control system facilities in the low-lying towns of Albay and Camarines Sur.
Albay was again charted for pioneering programs on education when Salceda offered at least 14,000 sholarship slots under the province’s Albay Higher Education Contribution Scheme (AHECS), and the yearly search for ten outstanding teachers and ten outstanding principals, which provides, among others, cash awards of P100,000 for each recipient, also under the program Education Quality for Albayanos (EQUAL).
Preventive evacuation, massive campaign on climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction, and scholarships for all, are among those pioneering programs implemented under the Salceda administration that prompted foreign agencies to extend grants for the province.
When sought for comment, Salceda replied: We don’t beg. We show to the world that we do our best that’s why probably they are helping us. Good house-keeping is key to progress.” (cet dematera)
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