Showing posts with label good governace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label good governace. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

New Role as Councilor: Principles & Platform



POLITICAL PRINCIPLES
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My role as Councilor will endeavor to realize my commitment to God and all the residents of our municipality, a commitment that revolves around these five principles of government:

Austerity

• Our town needs government that is efficient and which makes careful use of financial resources. The current difficult times demand that we do more with less, that we eliminate the non-essential, and that we act responsibly to achieve better government with resources which belong to everyone.

Information

• All activity of our Town Hall must be transparent. Our government must be committed to supplying information about its activities on a constant basis. Provide maximum advance information and transparency in all future decisions, making use of new technology such as the internet in order to do so, publicizing plenary meetings, carrying out public consultations, etc.

Standards

• I believe in improving the town’s image, to act responsibly and openly, and in accordance with the highest standards of public office as well as government by rule of law. Ensuring that the future development of Mansalay be planned and supervised through legislative processes according to the real needs of people, not based on short-term and unsustainable speculation.

Dialogue

• I believe in continuous dialogue and will work towards finding the best solutions, in broad-based political agreements that join together and benefit all our people.

Freedom

• I believe that a free society is also more equitable. That is why we must ensure that when we act in the name of freedom, in whatever form it might take, that that freedom is real for all the citizens of our municipality.


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PRIORITIES & PLATFORM
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1. HEALTH

• Work towards improving health services in Barangay level, including availability of regular health check-ups and free medicines, exploring all avenues to rectify inadequate services to the outlying and remote areas.
• Review community health and sanitary problems related to incomplete infrastructure such as the sewage and waste disposal system as part of primary health care and attempt to address them.
• Work towards improving existing local health services, especially regards to the health and nutritional needs of the children, child bearing population, elderly and indigenous population.
• Endeavor to sustain Feeding Program and Healthy Teeth Campaign at Community Day Care Centers and elementary schools I personally started five years ago.
• Conduct regular health teachings and family education with regards to local health concerns, nutrition, morbidity and epidemics.


2. EDUCATION

• Provide maximum advance in terms of education through the use of new technology such as the internet and computers.
• Improve the town educational status through teacher empowerment, without forgetting to invest in and maintain the indigent Mangyan communities which have traditionally been overlooked.
• Promote opportunities for college and technical education.
• Attempt to accelerate the provision and construction of low-cost education and training programs.
• Endeavor to ensure maximum transparency in the municipal budget, as well as equitable allocation of services and funding for education.


3. YOUTH & EMPLOYMENT

• Encourage recreation activities for young people such as sports and other skills training.
• Encourage participation of young citizens in matters related to town activities.
• Encourage to increase youth participation in all major decisions affecting the town, encouraging attendance at public gatherings and meetings
• Increase activities to facilitate meaningful integration of the different Christian & Mangyan youth groups.
• Help in providing opportunities for technical skills training, scholarships and college education.
• Help in coordinating the town’s tourism plans such that local businesses are supported.


5. ENVIRONMENT & TOURISM

• Encourage the creation of sustainable employment, particularly in sectors related to the development of tourism and the town’s historic & ethnic heritage, sustainable construction and maintenance, or workshops in new ecological activities, etc.
• Help in designing a comprehensive tourism plan highlighting the town’s historical and ecological value, encouraging participation of all commercial sectors of the town.
• Encourage a professional workshop for the introduction of and experimentation in ecological agriculture in Mansalay.
• Promote the reforestation and proper garbage disposal
• Lobby for and promote usage of a municipal tourism site built according to ecological and sustainable principles.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Deforestation

Deforestation affects us all. Deforestation is a major cause of flooding, landslide and climate change according to Greenpeace International.
Deforestation
           Illegal logging, slash and burn farming (kaingin), land clearance and charcoal mining (pag-uling) have damaged millions of hectares of Philippine forests. According to studies it takes more than 100 years to rehabilitate them. The destruction affected the country's rainforests and other biological ecosystem. People involved in these activities justified themselves and based their arguments on their economic status.
Uling  House
Open pit use for burning woods
Two years ago, I had a conversation with a local public official in Mindoro and I quoted what he said “Ang mga mamayan dito sa lugar natin ay nakadepende lamang sa pag-uuling at sa pagputol ng mga punongkahoy, maaring mawawalan sila ng kabuhayan oras na ipagbawal na ito.” After two years, charcoal mining (pag-uuling) is strictly prohibited in our municipality in Oriental Mindoro but people can still produce and trade “uling” if they acquire special permits released by DENR and local government. Pag-uuling is still rampant in our area.  I can present many evidences regarding this claim.  Ang pagpapatupad ng total ban sa pag-uuling ay hindi gaanong nagagawa dahil madali lang naman kumuha ng special permit lalo na kung malakas kanf koneksyon. Nakakabahala ang bagay na ito sapagkat laganap na naman ang mga pagbaha, tumitindi ang problema sa climate change at landslide na patuloy na naranasan dahil sa unti-unting pagkakalbo ng mga kabunduhan at pagkaubos ng likas na yaman.
Deforestation

Discoloration of Swamp (may be related to climate change)

Deforestation
I hope that the good governance of the President Noynoy Aquino will cover issues on deforestation and pay attention at least on climate change issues related to forest degradation as he address global agenda for climate change. - Shernan