STATE OF THE MUNICIPALITY ADDRESS
HONORABLE DEOGRACIAS B. RAMOS, JR.
MUNICIPAL MAYOR OF GUBAT
January 6, 2003, 9:00 A.M.
Gubat Multipurpose Gymnasium

Kagawad Dan Pura, our acting presiding officer of the Sangguniang Bayan, Honorable Members of the Sangguniang Bayan; Officials from the National Government Offices and Local Department Heads of the LGU; Barangay Captains and Officials, guests and friends, a pleasant good morning to us all.

Thank you for sharing your time this morning with us as we gather here during the 1st session of our Sangguniang Bayan for 2003 to comply with the provisions of RA 7160 for me to report to the people thru this august body what our administration has accomplished during the past year based on our plans and programs and what we intend or plan to do this year. Our plans and programs are now incorporated in our 2003 20% development fund. As you are all aware, the vision and mission of this administration is to pursue its programs of service to the people under the acronym - LIFE - standing for Livelihood, Infrastructure, Food Security/Family Values; E for economy, Education and Environmental Protection. To accomplish the task embodied in the goal of the administration, we gave focus on programs in agriculture strengthened with the belief that adequate agricultural produce will give each family in our barangays food in their tables and somehow answer partly their economic needs. So emphasis was given to rice production by constructing and rehabilitating communal irrigation system at Cabigaan and Rizal and flume extension at Union and Manapao. The rehabilitation of Anibong and Naagtan Irrigation system was undertaken with assistance from the National Irrigation Administration with the LGU contributing 10% of the work and labor from the farmer-members.

We have established inland aquaculture for 106 beneficiaries giving them tilapia fingerlings last February. In like manner, organic fertilizer from the national government was distributed covering 387 hectares as well as 20 kilos of hybrid rice was also given to 6 barangays. For additional food production program, P 70,000.00 worth of assorted vegetables seeds and asexually propagated planting materials were purchased for distribution. Our campaign for the protection of our livestock has been sustained, as we continue with our dispersal program of cattle, carabao and piglets. We have already started the dispersal of sasso/kabir hybrid chicken and the goat dispersal will likewise follow. Our Compost Fungus Production Program is now in full swing with our laboratory now operational. Five barangays have been identified and readied for organic fertilizer production. The main objective of this vital agricultural program is to make our farmers less dependent on organic fertilizers that drain their meager finances and more importantly restore fertility to the soil used for agriculture.

Like agriculture, health is a primary concern of our administration being in the frontline of delivering basic services to our people. All health programs embodied in our 20% development fund for 2002 were given full attention. Complying with our commitment during the electoral campaign that we will address the health problems of the marginal poor in our society, we have enrolled 841 families last June as beneficiaries of the Medicare Para sa Masa Program of the national government. This grants the beneficiaries and the immediate members of their families access to free hospitalization and medicine. We recognize the fact that many of our poor die without the benefit of hospital assistance. Our RHU has now been accredited PhilHealth Medicare Para sa Masa Provider. Last month, we inaugurated our Lying-in Clinic adjacent to the RHU building. This will serve as labor and delivery room for normal deliveries and treatment room for patients to be treated for a short period of time. But one important accomplishment in health services is our decision to purchase medicines thru the Philippine International Trading Corporation (PITC) which handles the "Gamot Para sa Masa Program" of GMA. This decision has enabled us to purchase more medicines from our limited funds since the cost difference between our purchase thru PITC compared to that from local dealers of medicines runs from 40% to 50%. Our LGU is the 1st municipality to avail of this in Region V. Now many municipalities are doing the same. Here in Sorsogon the Municipality of Prieto Diaz is availing of this process. Our social welfare development programs have targeted the cross section of our constituency, that is, the children, the youth, the women, the family, the disabled as well as the senior citizens. The assistance is done thru trainings, campings, meetings and conferences as well as the granting of financial assistance to persons in crisis situation, and capitalization to individual women and organized groups for their livelihood projects.

We have invested more than two million pesos worth of infrastructure projects like concreting of some poblacion roads, assistance to various barangay projects and construction and repair of government edifices.

On the administrative side, the benefits due our employees were taken care of, including the granting of additional bonus this Christmas season.

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