Unity and teamwork inspired the opening week of the new capitol tandem of opposing election winners third-termer Gov. Edgar Chatto and fresh Vice Gov. Dionisio Balite.

Chatto thanked Balite and the members of the new, 13th Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) for expressing adherence to his principle of shared leadership.

But while the province appreciates the gains , the governor said its leaders must be aware of the threats and challenges to its growth.

Like in his first two terms, the last three years of his Bohol governorship “has no time to waste,” Chatto said in his message to the provincial legislators in their inaugural session on Friday.

Presided over by the new vice governor, the SP invited the provincial chief executive to address the term-opening session of the capitol legislature and highest policy-making body of the province.

The plenary did, in fact, turn out to be a commitment quorum for oneness in vision and strong cooperation as the board members also spoke of what the Boholanos could expect from them.

Chatto would want all in government offices serve with an “extra mile of smile,” stretching patience instead of appearing grumpy and irritable.

Provincial government department heads and key functionaries attended the inaugural session, which  had some unexpected foreign guests.

Balite had them all “witnesses” to his declaration of “cooperation with our dearest governor.”

It was a self-reaffirmation of Balite’s vow to Chatto during Monday’s first flag raising and convocation program of the provincial government in their care, “Gov, I promise, I am with you.”

“Please, be with me also,” the first-termer vice governor pleaded to Chatto, who is serving his final term as Bohol’s 25^thgovernor.

Balite has long been close to the Chattos, especially the governor’s late father whom the vice governor said he could not forget for, to cite one, helping him establish his school.

 

In SPIRED HEAT IT

In both the convocation and SP inaugural session, Chatto again articulated his expanded “InSPIRED HEAT IT Bohol” agenda for 2016-2019p.

The InSPIRED encompasses the programs for infrastructure, social well-being and shelter, peace and order, interconnectivity, reforms in local governance, equitable economy with environmental sustainability, and disaster risk reduction and management and climate change adaptation.

A “power eco-zone” will be established and “we can see this major project taking off” to address the concern of stable, reliable and affordable energy, Chatto said during his weekly “Kita ug Ang Gobernador” program hours to the SP session.

There are two strategies to make it happen involving renewable energy that meets the base and peak load demands.

The aggressive power development comes with a sustainable bulk water supply program, which feasibility studies are finalized for possible public-private partnership mode of implementation.

Development cannot be pleasing where misfits challenge peace and order and, as part of the strategy, Chatto said a rehabilitation center should be established for drug dependents.

Chatto and new Department of Health (DOH) Sec. Paulyn Jean Rosell Ubial already talked of assigning Asec. Elmer Punzalan to handle this concern leading to the establishment of the facility.

The governor again urged all, particularly local officials, to help the police and other law enforcers in ending illegal drug trade and drug abuse..

He cited the “very bold declaration” of Pres. Rodrigo Duterte, naming the alleged top drug traffickers and protectors in the country.

The HEAT IT means health and sanitation, education and technology, agriculture and food security, tourism and livelihood, and information technology.

Chatto supported the granting of free irrigation water and called for a shift in the national policy so that the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) becomes service-oriented from being a corporate set-up.

Also the core executive-legislative agenda (ELA), the province’s broadened and aggressive development framework was on Thursday presented to the mayors and national government agencies in a meeting led by the governor.

On this framework of the provincial government the mayors, especially new ones and being LGU heads, can build their own development agenda with their respective sanggunians.

“Our agenda is supportive of the national agenda,” the governor said.

SALUTE

In the SP inaugural session, new Board Member Rey Niño Boniel of the 2^nd District justified in words his “salute” to the leadership and development works of Chatto for Bohol.

Also a neophyte, Board Member Dionisio Victor Balite of the 3^rd District committed his full support to the Chatto administration with the vice governor, who is his father.

It is the first time at capitol that a father and his son sit as a presiding officer and a member, respectively, of the provincial board of Bohol since the enactment of the Local Government Code of 1991.

Board Member Venzencio Arcamo is the new senior member and floor leader of the SP, which Board Member Abeleon Damalerio labeled as the “Sanggunian of the People.”  Both are of the 1^st District.

The other board members are Ricky Masamayor, 1^st District; Tomas Abapo, Jr. and Agapito Avenido, 2^nd District; Kristine Alexie Tutor, Jane Jade Bautista and Elpidio Jala, 3^rd District; and Romulo Cepedoza and Cecile Rebosura.

Cepedoza and Rebosura are ex-officio members respectively representing the provincial federations of the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) and Philippine Councilors’ League (PCL).

Arcamo, Damalerio, Abapo and Jala are reelected board members.

Also new and the youngest board member, Tutor, in her speech, pleaded to the media to “practice good journalism.”

She was reminded of the “three types” of media practitioners according to Pres. Rodrigo Duterte, including the “extortionist” who “destroys family and institution” and the kind who attacks just for pay or being not given money.

‘MY HOME,

MY SCHOOL’

As a public servant and government worker, Chatto considered the SP as his “home” where he was “born and raised” and his “school” where he was “educated.”

At age 19, he started his government service and public career as an ex-officio member of the board representing the youth as provincial president of the then Kabataang Barangay (KB).

“I learned here how the legislative and executive offices work and deliver result,” Chatto said, who had first become a local chief executive as a mayor of Balilihan after his KB leadership.

The governor described the legislature as “the people’s branch of government” because “here, we speak and articulate on behalf of the people, and make measures that govern and affect people’s lives.”

Chatto had himself presided over the board when he was vice governor and sharpened his legislative skills when he served in Congress representing the 1^st District until getting the top post of the province.

He, thus, reiterated his gratitude to the new SP under Balite for adhering to his principle of shared leadership because by this there is “no avenue for failure.”

Bohol’s falling poverty index is an inspiring challenge that the capitol officials agreed to take on as a strong team.

Apparently referring to the SP presiding officer’s policy of holding sessions and other legislative events on time, the governor mused there is now what he calls the “Bohol time.”  Balite owns the local weekly “The Bohol Times.”

The leading officials of the province set aside political differences in the name of service as Balite called for a “symbiotic relationship.”

Chatto would “fight” for the destiny of the province “without counting the wounds.” (Ven rebo Arigo)