SUMMARY
This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.
Bohol Governor Erico Aris Aumentado on Monday, July 11, rolled out details of his first two executive orders that focus on the province’s economic revival as well as tightening accountability systems under his watch.
In his first weekly capitol briefing, Aumentado and key officials also bared plans to strengthen food security.
Amid the reported decline in agriculture production due to the high prices of inputs like fertilizers and fuel the chair of the Bohol Economic Recovery Task Force (BERTF) said the province would include preventing and correcting food shortages among the mandates of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.
Aumentado signed the EO creating the BERTF, chaired by Provincial Administrator Asteria Caberte, on July 1.
“We will make it a disaster preparedness issue, not just separate it as an economic issue,” said Caberte, adding that the provincial government will convene agencies and local governments to craft a plan.
Cabarte had served as Department of Trade and Industry Central Visayas director and later, as DTI assistant secretary beginning 2020.
Aumentado said tourism will play a big part in economic recovery. But he said power concerns continue to hamper growth in the sector.
The governor met with National Grid Corporation of the Philippines president Anthony Almeda in June to discuss the Cebu-Bohol Power Interconnectivity that would tap power from a coal-fired plant for the province.
Aumentado plans to meet Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia and Mayor Romulo Manuta of Maribojoc, Bohol, to resolve right of way issues that have slowed down the project.
“I told them that the provincial government will create a task force to give them assistance in any way we can to help hasten the implementation of the project,” the governor said in a Facebook post.
The Energy Development Corporation (EDC), meanwhile, is completing the process of getting permits and regulatory approval from the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) for a diesel-fed power plant in Barangay Imelda, Ubay town.
The new plant, which is set to operate in 2023, will provide backup power if connection to the primary geothermal power source in Leyte is cut off, like what happened during the Typhoon Odette disaster in December 2021.
Aumentado’s second executive order creates the Office of Governance and Accountability Review (OGAR), headed by former Cabinet secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr.
A graphic posted on the provincial government’s official Facebook page said that the new body will review all provincial transactions before June 30.
Evasco, however, stressed that the new administration was not singling out Aumentado’s predecessor Arthur Yap, who lost a reelection bid in the May 2022 elections after only one term in office.
Evasco said his office will also review transactions of the current provincial government if citizens lodge complaints. – Rappler.com
Add a comment
How does this make you feel?
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.