By Anthony A. Araos
The promotion of agri-tourism is meant to boost the nation’s agriculture and tourism industry. Thus, agri-tourism should be most helpful to a poor town like Tinoc (in Ifugao province). Tinoc is reputedly known as the vegetable hub of Ifugao.
A fifth class municipality, Tinoc is an excellent place to visit this Christmas season. There are a number of sites for local and foreign tourists to see.
From Lagawe, there are van trips to Tinoc. A trip passes through the town of Kiangan.
In turn, the Mayam-o administration should exert its best to improve tourism-related facilities in Tinoc as a means of attracting more visitors. With additional tourists, Tinoc will benefit from increased revenues and jobs.
It is high time for the province’s highest official to prioritize the needs of an underserved town like Tinoc which is lacks fundamental social services. Poverty incidence rate here is high, sky-high just like its mountainous terrain.
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The TEAP and TESAP, undoubtedly, have noteworthy objectives. However, lawmakers (as well as their rabid supporters) should face the reality that the amount being given to a scholar is simply not enough– not good enough.
Tuition fee payments are sky-high. As a result, millions of families can’t afford the cost of tertiary education. Economic difficulties force students to drop out of school as early as third grade in the Philippines, despite the glaring fact that basic education is free. Supposedly, it’s free!
According to the 1987 Philippine Constitution, education should get the lion’s share of the annual budget. In other words, the highest allocation of the General Appropriation’s Act or the National Budget of any given fiscal year should be education. Yet, in reality debt payments get the biggest appropriation. Sadly, the amount for education is hardly enough. The Ifugao State University (IFSU) surely lacks funding. The insufficiency is strongly felt at its classrooms and buildings where students’ minds are molded by overworked but underpaid mentors. Not surprisingly, it is difficult to attract professors from noted institutions of learning such as the University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University and De la Salle University in the National Capital Region (NCR).
A scholarship is so important to a student from the marginalized sector as a means of obtaining higher education to help his or her family. A scholarship is so vital to a poor student since it is a tool to start the journey to achieve one’s dreams.
I know how important the scholarship program is to an underdeveloped province like Ifugao where the poverty incidence rate in 2015 is 40.5 percent, particularly those in far-flung barangays. Provision of more scholarship grants for the impoverished young means giving them new and bright hopes of a better future.
There are many other ways to help poor but deserving students in Ifugao. For one, access for students from low-income families to soft loans and study-now-pay-later plans should be considered.
It is a pity that an Ifugao scholar is only receiving Php5,000. In contrast, pathways are being allocated the amount of Php100,000 each. The disparity is so obvious. It does not speak well of the priorities of the officialdom.
Ideally, a scholar should be given Php10,000. Consider the following expenses: Miscellaneous fees, books, schools supplies, board and lodging, uniforms, food, school projects and communications (internet and cellphone load).
Altogether, then, Governor Pedro Mayam-o and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Ifugao- under the able and strong leader of Vice Governor Jose Jordan Gullitiw– should exert their utmost to increase funding for tertiary education scholarships.
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For the nth time, I have raised the ante on the need for the provincial government to improve the conditions of employees by raising their wages. I wrote recently Board Member Humiwat on this concern. Pertinent points of interest in the said communication are: “These lowly-paid employees have been working very hard in order to contribute to the economic progress of Ifugao. I strongly feel they deserve a decent and reasonable compensation scheme. This can be addressed with the exercise of political will.”
“I fully support the good governance agenda of Governor Pedro Mayam-o and I believe that a good compensation package will boost the morale of provincial government workers which ultimately shall translate to better services and more productivity.”
“It would do well for the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Ifugao to improve the plight of the provincial government employees by increasing their wages and providing them more benefits. Let us dispense with technicalities, and instead think of the greatest interest of the people.”
“In the spirit of the Christmas season, I earnestly plead Governor Pedro Mayam-o, Vice Governor Jose Jordan Gullitiw and members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to do their utmost in granting the above mentioned benefits and incentives.”
“After all, these provincial government employees are also your partners in nation-building and play a crucial role in the development of the province through their dedication to service.”
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Is Ifugao ready for women to take legislative (or executive) jobs in 2019? Have the voters seen qualified women candidates among present-day leaders (in the private and public sectors) who can assume the role of mayor, board member or governor today? There are too few women in the Ifugao political landscape to begin with.
It is still a male-dominated political arena. The Sanguniang Panlalawigan, the influential and powerful lawmaking body in the province, has an all-male composition. More women, however, are interested in taking up the torch in the Sangguniang Bayan and Sangguniang Barangay, though they are but still a few.
The capital town of Lagawe, for example, has a sole female councilor. Of the 20 villages (barangays), there is only one female village chieftain (Punong Barangay).
Believe it or not, Banaue has one female councilor in the person of its ABC president.
All told, there is still little awareness of women’s issues in Ifugao and the pervasiveness of traditional chauvinists’ attitude in politics. Through legislation, the government can truly elevate women to positions where they deserve to be.
By 2019, are the voters ready to turn this poverty-stricken province into a place where women can shine in politics?
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Life’s Oddities: Only in the Philippines!
A mother is conversing with her daughter on an important matter.
Mother: You better listen to me.
Daughter: Yes, I am listening to you.
Mother: You better stop seeing your boyfriend because nothing will happen if you continue meeting him. Just study!
Daughter: Sorry, something already happened last night.
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Finally, some thoughts for our readers: “So this means that all municipalities in the Philippines are disadvantaged? So, not one municipality has an advantage over the others because all are classified as disadvantaged.” Senator Panfilo Lacson in his query on the Assistance to Disadvantaged Municipalities Program (ADMP) of the national government. The ADMP took the place of the Bottoms up Budgeting (BuB) of the Aquino administration.
“Ano ang tawag kapag nagtapon ka ng basura sa dagat?” Sagot: Pollution. Ano naman ang tawag kapag tinapon mo sa dagat ang mga pulitikong kurakot? Sagot: Solution.” As quoted from the late Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago.**
