Province delivers on health, education
Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III ran and won on a platform of change in the 2013 mid-term elections.
Today, Governor Davide will present his administration’s achievements when he delivers his second and last State of the Province Address (SOPA) at the Capitol.
In his inaugural address in June 2013, Davide envisioned Cebu as a “peaceful community where people cooperate and share the benefits of a vibrant economy.”
His agenda were anchored on poverty reduction and equitable growth through a culture of transparency and accountability in government and stakeholders’ participation.
Following a stakeholders’ summit shortly after Davide assumed office, the provincial government identified health as its top priority.
HEALTH
The governor promised to help equip the province’s 16 provincial and district hospitals with properly trained personnel who can deliver effective services.
As of July 30 this year, the provincial government has hired 116 doctors, including 36 medical specialists, 14 visiting consultants and 399 nurses.
In the coming months, equipment worth P35 million will be distributed to 10 different hospitals in the province, including those in Argao, Badian, and Bantayan.
These include a Doppler machine, ultrasound, and operating room table.
EDUCATION
In the area of education, he promised to build more classrooms and facilities for the K to 12 Program in Cebu.
The Province has since allocated P39.4 million to build 68 more classrooms in the countryside. Last February, 204 schools with 1,069 classrooms were validated. The Department of Education 7 needs 1,602 classrooms for the whole province in 2016 and 2017 for the K to 12 Program.
FSTP
Davide also vowed to revive and expand the Farmer-Scientist Training Program (FSTP), the brainchild of his uncle Dr. Romulo Davide, to increase yield per unit area of farm. As of 2014, over 26,000 farmers have undergone trainings under the FSTP.
Dr. Roldan Saragena, OIC provincial agriculturist, said recent data show more than 28,000 farmers have graduated from the program.
MARKET ACCESS
With his promise to improve farmers’ access to markets, the province has two ongoing province-funded farm-to-market road projects worth P15 million each in Villahermosa, Tudela in Camotes Island and Cabancalan in Tuburan. Under the Department of Agriculture’s Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP), farm-to-market roads in Yolanda-hit areas with a total length of 20.841 kilometers worth P207 million have also been approved this year.
He also said the provincial government will set up strategic trading centers to provide more convenient and efficient links between producers and consumers.
During his term, the provincial government was also able to craft a Provincial Investments Code. This is seen to improve the investment climate in the province as well as encourage investors to put up economic zones in and bring jobs to the countryside.
To pursue the P57-billion Trans-axial Highway project, one of the governor’s major promises, the technical working committee is still trying to push the project forward.