GOV. EBDANE REPORTS: EXCELLENT RATINGS FOR ZAMBALES

Zambales – The Dept. of Interior & Local Govt. (DILG) has given the province of Zambales excellent grades in all five (5) standards of State of Local Performance.
“Binabanggit ko ito sa bungad ng aking ulat sa bayan upang mailarawan ang kabuuan at kalawakan ng epekto ng ating sama-samang pagsisikap,” Gov. Hermogenes “Jun” Ebdane, Jr. said in his Ulat sa Bayan recently.
Zambales got excellent ratings in Economic Governance, specially in Business and Industry Promotion and support to Fisheries and Entrepreneurship. In Social Governance, the high mark was in recognition of the provincial government’s action on Peace, Security and Disaster Management as well as having sufficient infrastructure and plans to protect the youth and the community and decrease in crime incidents.
Transparency by having good dealings with the populace on top of timely and relevant information dissemination for everyone earned Zambales excellent rating in the field of Valuing Fundamentals of Governance.
Zambales also made good in Financial Accountability and in Environmental Governance and obtained flying colors with superb Freshwater and Forest Ecosystems Management. Speaking in Filipino, Ebdane reported to some 5,000 Zambaleños, composed of govt. officials & employees, students and ordinary folks from all over the province, gathered at the People’s Park fronting the provincial capitol, that Zambales has made unparallelled inroads in the past two (2) years.
“Ang pagsulong ng ating lalawigan ay patuloy sa pag-arangkada,” he said, “At ang magagandang pangyayari ay dahil na rin sa matibay na hangad ng mga Zambaleño na mabago ang takbo ng buhay dito sa atin.”
Among the accomplishments of his two-year-old term, Ebdane made mention of the renovation and modernization of the Zambales Sports Center, venue of the most recent Central Luzon Regional Athletics Association (CLRAA) meet.
He also cited the procurement of a new CT scan, Ultrasound, X-Ray & anesthesia machines and mobile hospitals that have made it easier for Zambaleños to avail of necessary medical services without going to Metro-Manila or elsewhere outside of the province.
The province also obtained donations of six (6) new ambulances and three (3) incubators. Despite the decrease in the number of quarrying permits issued, less than 100 compared to 300 by the previous administration, the provincial govt. recorded a 226% increase in the collection of quarrying fees.
The previous monthly collection of P20,000 from small-scale mining operations has soared to P3.5 million a month with proper regulation. Taking a swipe at detractors of his policy in mining, he said “Sa bawat pagkakataon na binatikos at kinasuhan ang mga desisyon na isinagawa para sa ikabubuti ng pagmimina sa Zambales, pumanig ang batas, ang korte at taumbayan sa ating desisyon.”
Ebdane reported that the province collected P60.66 million in real property taxes from Jan. to June this year, almost double the collection of the same period in 2010.
Ebdane also bared that part of the effort to speed up progess, the provincial govt. obtained a P600 million loan from Land Bank, from which P100 million has been used to purchase new heavy equipment and the P500 million earmarked for more community infrastructure projects that would boost livelihood generation, tourism development, employment, education, health & sanitation and enviromental protection, among others.
For the timely and effective actions in strenghtening the roads, bridges and dikes in the province, Ebdane used the occasion to commend the Provincial Engineering Office and the two districts of the Dept. of Public Works & Highways (DPWH) in Zambales.
He also cited the safe evacuation and care of some 7,266 individuals, part of the over 141,000 Zambaleños affected by the recent westerly wind monsoon or habagat that also caused massive floods in many parts of Central Luzon and Metro-Manila. “Kahit matindi at walang katulad ang ating naranasang ulan at baha, dahil sa ating pagkakaisa ay naagapan natin ang situwasyon…,” Ebdane said.
“Nagkakaisa, nagtutulungan, nagbubunga ang samahan,” Ebdane told the cheering crowd, “Yan ang Zambales na ating pinagsisikapan. Pagpapatunay lamang na ang direksiyong ating tinahak ay may patutunguhan.” -30-
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