By Helen Castaño | 03:20 PM October 07, 2022
Bohol Governor Aris Aumentado on Friday (Oct. 7) said that his administration’s biggest move to realize a clean and honest government was the creation of the Office for Governance, Accountability, and Reform (Ogar) that will dig into past and present anomalous transactions.
“The office is being manned by people of highest integrity and probity who are one with your Governor in the goal of keeping our Capitol corruption-free. It is considered as the first of its kind in the history of local government administration and governance,” said Aumentado in his First 100 days in office on Friday (Oct. 7) at the Ceremonial Hall of the New Capitol Building in Tagbilaran City.
The event was attended by Vice Governor Dionisio Victor Balite, board members, municipal mayors and heads of the different departments.
Aumentado said his administration anchored on ten-point development agenda- jobs and livelihood, peace and order, infrastructure, governance reforms, health and social services, trade and industry, eco-cultural tourism, agriculture, education and heritage and protection of the environment.
He said the two main economic drivers – agriculture and tourism — were suffered during the two years of COVID- 19 pandemic and the onslaught of super typhoon Odette.
He said many farmers, fisherfolks, businessmen, frontliners and ordinary workers despaired of their future.
He also revealed that even in the gloomy situation, some unscrupulous people in – and even out of -government have managed to advance their own personal interests, resulting to the reported widespread graft and corruption at the Capitol.
He took steps to rid the Capitol of unscrupulous people who have soiled the good reputation of Boholanos.
“The so-called Ivan who victimized quarry operators, mining permitees, and sand and gravel dealers by collecting 30% kicback, has been removed from the equation,” he said.
In just three months, he said the provincial government tripled the collection of quarry permit fees from industry players. And there is now a substantial increase of bidders and a more fair and transparent procurement set-up.
To jumpstart the economic recovery, his administration triggered a stimulus by creating and mobilizing the Bohol Economic Recovery Task Force and convened the Bohol Investment Board composed of government and private individuals and organizations whose mission is focused on reviving Bohol’s economy under the new normal, and in identifying priority areas and incentive packages for investors.
He opened Bohol for investors like Ayala group, Robinsons, SM, the Aboitiz group, Puregold, the Pangilinan group, Megaworld and many others to invest in Bohol to give jobs and income generation.
For tourism recovery, Aumentado said his administration crafted new and smart strategies to propel what we have started as a booming industry prior to the pandemic.
The provincial government also fixed the overprice of local tourism services and products through fair and equitable regulation.
Last August, reports of expensive food being sold to tourists at Virgin Island and other tourist establishments became viral in the social media.
Bohol also joined the Philippine Travel Mart in Manila a week ago to promote 4Fs: Food, Fiesta, Fitness, and Faith-based tourism strategies as Bohol rebranded itself.
“Globally, Bohol is attracting notice like a rockstar. Our province has just been nominated for the UNESCO Global Geopark for its rare geologic monuments, biodiversity, rich cultural heritage and tourism sites, and their being managed in a sustainable and holistic mariner. We are on track to becoming the Philippine’s first UNESCO Geopark,” Aumentado said.
“No, we cannot present Bohol with the same packaging ten, twenty years ago. We have to open new frontiers. We have to innovative, mindful that we have so many unique Boholano ingredients to present more attractive tourist offerings,” he said.
Just yesterday, Aumentado went to Talibon, Ubay, Pres. CPG, and Loboc to break grounds for the four resettlement projects for 100 households per town that benefited from the P128 million Odette rehabilitation funds from the national government to build back Bohol.
