The governors in the country commended Pres. Rodrigo Duterte on his first 100 days of “strong and decisive leadership” that could deliver urgent hope to a “nation of dope.”

They also expressed “full support” for his “continuous campaign to lower crime rate” topped by the war on drugs and “improve the quality of life” of the Filipinos.

The twin manifestations are contained in a League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) resolution adopted and approved by its National Executive Board (NEB).

The NEB had its first meeting at the Dusit Hotel in Makati City on October 5, two days to Duterte presidency’s 100th day, during which all the LPP national officers also signed the resolution.

The lead signatories are Ilocos Sur Gov. Ryan Luis Singson, LPP national president; Albay Gov. Al Francis Bichara, national chairman; and Bohol’s Chatto, national secretary-general.

Chatto cited the relentless fight against illegal drugs, considered the country’s most proliferating urgent concern, and policy on free irrigation water to millions of small farmers among Duterte’s first impact acts.

Moved to October 12 due to final physical set-up, Bohol’s provincial Center for Drug Education and Counseling (CEDEC) is to finally open.

It intends to spark up the community-based rehabilitation program for the persons with substance use disorder (PSUDs).

One legal basis for CEDEC, which will be replicated in all LGUs, is the provincial ordinance creating the Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council (PADAC), according to Dr. Cesar Tomas Lopez.

Lopez said the PADAC ordinance author happens to be Chatto when he was vice governor in 1997.

A former Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) member, Lopez is presently Chatto’s hospital modernization and health services program consultant and tasked to head the provincial CEDEC.

The SP amended the ordinance in 2001, by that time Chatto was already a congressman, to expand PADAC composition and conform to a Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) memorandum issued in 1998.

The governor most welcomed the free irrigation program as he hoped Congress could pass pending measures enabling the small and poor farmers to free access to water for their rice and other crops.

It also responds to the call of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) on the government to focus on heightening farm yields to cut poverty and boost the country’s gross domestic product, Chatto said.

Quoting a report, Chatto said “our good agriculture secretary (Manny Piñol) does expect the rice farmers’ production cost to fall by P3 per kilo, which can at least give them a competitive space.”

SWEEPING SUPPORT

Until his 100th day at Malacañang on October 7, the president has enjoyed an overwhelming support from the people for the war against drugs and bringing development and economic growth outside Metro Manila, according to the LPP resolution.

The governors also cited Duterte’s pursuit of an independent foreign policy.

The league said that “in a short period of time,” this was achieved.

This has been indicated by the “record-breaking” drug apprehension-arrest and declaration of ceasefire with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), the LPP said.

The governors mentioned the negotiations initiated by the Duterte administration with the different rebel groups on hope of attaining an enduring, lasting peace.

On the economic side, the LPP cited the “upholding of the right of labor against job contractualization, pursuit of clear economic policies conducive to growth in different parts of the country, and strengthening of foreign relations by opening new markets for investments.”

Further, the league mentioned the “establishment of centralized action and complaint hotlines 911 and 8888, creation of a one-stop service center for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), executive order on the Freedom of Information (FOI), and streamlining of the processing of transactions with government agencies.”

The influential local government group described Duterte’s “brand of leadership” as “historic and unprecedented,” thereby “promoting patriotism and pride among Filipinos.”

The governors wished the president not just good health but also “security and safety to bring about genuine change” as he “promised for the country.”

P18 BILLION

FOR ROADS

Chatto, also thru the LPP, himself thanked the Duterte administration for the P18 billion to fund local road projects in the provinces in 2017.

This is under the Conditional Matching Grant Program, earlier known as the KALSADA Program.

The Bohol governor had headed the LPP technical working group which then formulated the KALSADA.

In the new formula, each province equally gets a national allocation of P45 million, according to Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Sec. Benjamin Diokno.

The remaining balance of the needed fund is computed with consideration of a province’s length of unpaved roads and land area.

Chatto estimated that Bohol stands to get P436.270 million next year using the formula.

There is no more local fund counterpart to ensure that all provinces get their national shares regardless of their income classes, Chatto said. (Ven rebo Arigo)

FOR MOBILE USERS: Scroll down for more of today’s latest news posted below the comment box.