GOOD GOVERNANCE MATTERS

(Speech delivered during the 42nd Foundation Anniversary Celebrations of the University of Northern Philippines on October 14, 2007 at the UNP Auditorium)

AS WE CELEBRATE THE 47 YEARS OF THIS INSTITUTION, LET US TRAVEL BACK IN TIME. IF WE DIG DEEPER THE EARLY BEGINNINGS OF THE UNIVERSITY, IT CAN BE TRACED AS FAR AS 1800.

IN 1880, A STRUCTURE ALONG FLORENTINO STREET WAS BUILT TO HOUSE THE ILLUSTRE COLLEGIO DE ABOGADO DE VIGAN. IN 1902, AFTER THE SPANISH REGIME, IT BECAME THE ILOCANO UNIVERSITY. WHEN THE VIGAN HIGH SCHOOL WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1906, THE NEW SCHOOL OCCUPIED THE BUILDING, THE ILOCANO UNIVERSITY WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE HOUSE OF A CERTAIN DR. ANTONIO JIMENEZ WHO WAS THEN THE HEAD OF THE UNIVERSITY. IN 1927, THE VIGAN HIGH SCHOOL BECAME THE VIGAN TRADE SCHOOL HAVING THE FIRST BATCH OF STUDENTS GRADUATING IN 1931.

IN 1931, THE VIGAN TRADE SCHOOL BECAME THE ILOCOS SUR TRADE SCHOOL. TEN YEARS AFTER, THE SCHOOL WAS CONVERTED INTO A REGIONAL TRADE SCHOOL BY THE LATE PRESIDENT MANUEL L. QUEZON THROUGH THE EFFORTS OF ASSEMBLYMAN BENITO SOLIVEN AND GOVERNOR PEDRO SINGSON REYES. HOWEVER, THE SECOND WORLD WAR PREVENTED ITS IMPLEMENTATION. IN 1951, THE ILOCOS SUR TRADE SCHOOL WAS CONVERTED INTO THE NORTHERN LUZON SCHOOL OF ARTS AND TRADE TROUGH REPUBLIC ACT 547, AND IN 1960 BY VIRTUE OF REPUBLIC ACT 2700 AND SUBSEQUENTLY IN 1964, REPUBLIC ACT 4449, THE NORTHERN LUZON SCHOOL OF ARTS AND TRADE WAS CONVERTED INTO WHAT WE KNOW NOW AS THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN PHILIPPINES. FOR SOME TIME, THE STRUCTURE BECAME THE VIGAN SPORTS COMPLEX WHEN UNP WAS ESTABLISHED IN BARANGAY TAMAG.

TODAY, THE ORIGINAL STRUCTURE STILL STANDS AT THE HEART OF THE CITY AND IS THE PRESENT SITE OF THE VIGAN CULTURE AND`TRADE CENTER, AN EXAMPLE OF CONSERVATION ARCHITECTURE AND ADAPTIVE RE-USE OF AN OLD BUILDING.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THIS IS HOW RICH THE HERITAGE OF VIGAN IS. FROM THE CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS, WE CAN SEE GOOD GOVERNANCE IN THE PHILIPPINE BUREAUCRACY AT WORK.

EACH AND EVERYONE OF US HAS HIS OR HER AMBITION IN LIFE, THE MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION WHEN WE WERE STILL CHILDREN AND WE KEEP ON ASKING TO THE CHILDREN OF TODAY IS “ANAK ANONG GUSTO MONG MAGING PAGLAKI MO?” THE READY ANSWER IS, “I WANT TO BE A NURSE”, I WANT TO BE A DOCTOR”, “I WANT TO BE A LAWYER”, “I WANT TO BE AN ENGINEER”. IF SOMEBODY SAYS, “I WANT TO BE A POLITICIAN”, WE TEND TO DISCOURAGE THE CHILD. MOST OF US WILL SAY, “HWAG ANAK KASI MARUMI ANG PULITIKA” , “POLITICS IS BAD.”

BUT, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS DIRTY POLITICS BECAUSE POLITICS IN THE REAL SENSE IS THE ART OF GOVERNANCE. IT IS THE SYSTEMATIC MANNER OF MANAGING THE AFFAIRS OF GOVERNMENT. WE DO NOT HAVE BAD POLITICS, ONLY BAD OR UNDESIRABLE POLITICIANS. POLITICS WILL ALWAYS BE HERE TO STAY AS LONG AS GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS CONTINUE TO BE OPERATIONAL.

GOOD GOVERNANCE MATTERS A LOT FOR ALL OF US. IT IS AN INDICATOR THAT GOVERNMENT IS FUNCTIONING WELL FOR THE GENERAL WELFARE. IT MAKES US FEEL CONFIDENT OF OUR GOVERNMENT. MAYBE, THE BEST UPDATE OF GOOD GOVERNANCE IN THE PHILIPPINE BUREAUCARACY IS THE CONVICTION BY THE SANDIGANBAYAN OF FORMER PRESIDENT JOSEPH ESTRADA FOR PLUNDER. ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT YET FINAL, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT A PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN INDICTED FOR A CRIME INVOLVING GRAFT AND CORRUPTION. WE HAVE YET TO SEE MORE PROSECUTIONS OF HIGH-RANKING PUBLIC OFFICIALS AMIDST SCANDALS SUCH AS THE ZTE BROADBAND DEAL.

ON THE LOCAL FRONT, I BELIEVE THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS HAVE BECOME THE SAVING GRACE OF THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT. WITH THE ADVENT OF EFFECTIVE AND INNOVATIVE MANAGERS IN THE DIFFERENT PROVINCES, CITIES, MUNICPALITIES AND BARANGAYS, DEVELOPMENT-ORIENTED INITIATIVES BECAME SOURCES OF HOPE AND INSPIRATION FOR THE PEOPLE. BEST PRACTICES ON LOCAL GOVERNANCE ARE EVIDENT IN MANY AREAS OF THE COUNTRY. MAYBE LET’S GIVE FEDERALISM A SECOND THOUGHT.

IN THE CITY OF VIGAN, WE ARE NOW IN THE PROCESS OF EXPANDING THE CONCEPT OF HERITAGE CONSERVATION. WE WILL NOT BE ONLY FOCUSING ON THE PROTECTION OF BUILT HERITAGE BUT WE WILL NOW ALSO CONSERVE THE OTHER FORMS OF HERITAGE SUCH AS THE INTANGIBLE HERITAGE, MOVABLE HERITAGE, AND THE NATURAL HERITAGE. WE HAVE REALIZED THAT WE HAVE TO GRADUATE FROM BEING DEPENDENT ON THE INTERNAL REVENUE ALLOTMENT, THAT IS WHY WE CAME UP WITH A REVISION OF THE VIGAN REVENUE CODE TO UPDATE OUTMODED RATES OF REGULATORY FEES AND SELECTED TAXABLE ACTIVITIES. RIGHT NOW, WE ARE REVIEWING THE INCOME REALIZED FROM REAL PROPERTY TAXES. SINCE WE DO NOT WANT TO FOCUS OUR RESOURCE MOBILIZATION ON LOCAL TAXATION, WE ARE PREPARING TO UPGRADE THE CAPACITY OF OUR ECONOMIC ENTERPRISES SUCH AS THE MARKET, SLAUGHTERHOUSE, PLAYA DE ORO RESORT, MIRA HILLS PARK, VIGAN CULTURE AND TRADE CENTER AND OUR PROPERTY IN TAGUIG TO EARN INCOME FOR THE CITY.

ON THE RECENTLY CONCLUDED TRICYCLE SUMMIT, WE HAVE AGREED UPON TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES SURROUNDING THE TRICYCLE INDUSTRY SUCH AS NOISE AND SMOKE POLLUTION BY REGULATING 2-STROKE TRICYCLES FOR HIRE. COMPLAINTS AND COMMENDATIONS FORM WILL BE READILY AVAILABLE TO THE RIDING PUBLIC SO THAT PEOPLE WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO AIR THEIR GRIEVANCES AGAINST ERRING AND ABUSIVE TRICYCLE DRIVERS AND OPERATORS BUT AT THE SAME TIME CAN COMMEND THOSE THAT MANIFEST EXAMPLARY CHARACTER.

AS THE HUMBLE PRESIDING OFFICER OF THE CITY COUNCIL, I WISH TO INFORM YOU THAT WE HAVE BEEN ADJUDGED AS THE OUTSTANDING SANGGUNIAN OF ILOCOS SUR AND WE HAVE BEEN OPERATING THROUGH OUR ELECTRONIC SESSION WHICH IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FOR THE SAKE OF TRANSPARENCY. WE MAINTAIN TO BE A DELIBERATIVE BODY, WHERE DEMOCRACY IS AT WORK. THESE ARE SOME OF THE UPDATES ON GOOD GOVERNANCE IN THE CITY OF VIGAN.

ANOTHER WELCOME DEVELOPMENT IS THE NEWS THAT THE SYNCHRONIZED BARANGAY ANG SK ELECTIONS WILL PUSH TROUGH THIS OCTOBER 29, 2007. THIS IS LONG OVERDUE, LET US GIVE A CHANCE FOR THE PEOPLE TO RE-ELECT THOSE THAT ARE DESERVING AND CHANGE THE UNDESIRABLES. LET THE YOUTH REPLACE THE OVER AGE SANGGUNIANG KABATAAN WITH A FRESH SET OF YOUTH OFFICIALS. LET US SHOW TO THE WORLD THAT GOOD GOVERNANCE STILL EXISTS IN THIS COUNTRY.

IN CLOSING I WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE THE UNP COMMUNITY FOR A VERY SUCCESSFUL CELEBRATION OF THE UNIVERSITY’S FOUNDATION DAY.

THE BARANGAY ELECTIONS MUST PROCEED

The attempt to postpone the synchronized Barangay and SK elections is politically unacceptable. It does not go well with a democratic society like the Philippines. The holding of these elections is long overdue, considering that it was previously re-set. The elected barangay leaders, councilmen and youth leaders have been serving their terms since 2002. The lawfully scheduled Oct. 31, 2005 election mandated under RA 9164 was already postponed through another law - RA 9340. Their term of office was already extended by two years.

In a free and democratic society, citizens are given the chance to participate in governance. Leaders should not perpetuate themselves into power. They should be instruments in making the community grow by shunning monopoly of ideas and tyranny of the few. Genuine development can only be attained if people are politically, socially and economically free. The people's basic right to choose their leaders must be upheld.

Senate's act of technically abandoning the move by the House of Representatives to postpone the Barangay and SK elections is a welcome development. The people in the barangays will now have the chance to elect their leaders. Let the deserving be re-elected and the undesirables be replaced, let the barangays be truly empowered by electing qualified village leaders with a vision and solid program of government. Let the youth chart their destiny by allowing them to change the old ones with a fresh set of Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials.

The October 29, 2007 Barangay and SK elections must proceed as scheduled. This political exercise will put to rest the perception that the Philippines is not capable of upholding its own laws. Amidst numerous national crises and scandals, the holding of the synchronized elections will help boost our country's image as the bulwark of democracy in Asia.

CHEER DANCE COMPETITION DURING THE FAMILY DAY CELEBRATION ON OCT. 5, 2007

THE LEGENDARY RED TEAM: UNDERRATED AND UNDEFEATED

Composed of several departments of the City Government of Vigan such as the Offices of the City Vice Mayor, City Council, Engineering, Civil Registrar, Productivity Center, Parking Terminal and Market Annex, and the Department of Interior and Local Government, the LEGENDARY RED TEAM although underrated has always been in high spirits. Conquering the other teams (Yellow, Orange and Green) in Volleyball(w), Basketball (w), Badminton(w), Table Tennis(w), darts, chess, and the traditional games of dama and sungka; the team was a hairline shy away from winning the Cheer Dance competition during the family day celebration of the City of Vigan on October 5, 2007 at the Mira Hills park. But, the team remains proud and tall, the members of the cheering squad had this to say, "maybe the judges failed to see and appreciate how we performed in the cheer dance competition, in so far as we are concerned, we did our best and we are winners in our own right."

The red team landed second in the overall standing, next to the yellow team. This was readily accepted by the red sox when it was announced in the family day affair. After all, it was only a game and the team's spirit is undefeated.

MEMBERS OF THE ANTIQUE HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL COUNCIL VISIT VIGAN

Led by its President, Former Board Member Zoilo Tubianoso, the members of the Antique Historical and Cultural Council came to Vigan for a visit and a short exchange of ideas on how to continue protecting Philippine Heritage. I attended the interaction together with the Vigan Cultural Mappers such as Councilor Ever Molina (President, Sociedad Historica de Vigan), Architect Abel Navarro, (UAP Fernandina Chapter), Architect Rey Florentino (UAP Ylocos Chapter), Fr. Bobit Abiera of Antique, Dr. Nenita Pacis and Dr. Julita Adriatico, both of the Department of Education(Vigan District) and secondary students from St. Paul College of Ilocos Sur.