By Danilo P. Padua, PhD
The municipality of Luna, is being groomed as the first city of Apayao. Based on the present criteria of becoming a city, Luna meets only that of area, having about 606 km2 which is about four times the combined area of Baguio and La Trinidad. It’s income is only about PhP130 million and it’s population is only slightly more than 20,000.
Incidentally, Luna is a sister town of La Trinidad. When I visited there one time, I met several councilors from La Trinidad in the house of the then mayor Verzola. Luna had chosen a good sister town where it could learn from. With the way things are going on in the town, I think La Trinidad could also learn a thing or two from it.
Apayao itself is the youngest, together with Kalinga, as a full-pledged province. Benguet, Mtn Province, Ifugao and Abra were much older
It’s still a long way of course. But considering the way Governor Elias Bulut Jr is running the province, they might just do it when we least expect it to be happening.
I have seen the governor from the audience but I have not met him face to face. I got good reviews however from some Apayao officials including Dr. Nelia Z. Cauilan, the present Apayao State College president.
Dr. Cauilan intimated that the governor is convening a monthly Kapihan sa Kapitolyo attended by all 7 municipal mayors, the ASC president, all provincial heads of agencies, and other provincial decision-makers. Hosting is by rotation among the members of the Kapihan. If a member is absent he/she has to justify the absence.
The Kapihan serves as venue to discuss special issues, needs, and important matters. Everyone is required to present accomplishments in relation to their plans. Needs are identified after each report, and solutions including the financial aspect are addressed. Special issues are tackled by inviting concerned regional, or even national officials so important stumbling blocks will be resolved as soon as possible.
After the usual meeting, nobody leaves in a hurry because there is the social bonding taking place. It’s intended to forge a more harmonious, united, and effective team. It’s a know-your-team mate better to make everyone in the loop of activities. This makes possible for province-wide activities to be inter-agency affairs! There is no turfing. Everyone contributes its share to make the whole. No one is upstaging another. It’s an ideal set-up that is also the reality.
Weekly inter-agency activities are also in place. These include cultural, sports, music, dances, etc. which are done one theme per week.
Even in regional sports, Apayao is upstaging their more seasoned counterparts. I, myself, was surprised during the CARASUC Games held in Luna sometime in 2013 or 2014 when Apayao athletes garnered more golds than most of the more established SUCs in CAR. Maybe, this is one of the reasons why. Dr. Cauilan was more than happy to share the information that athletes garnering medals in the regional and national events are given incentives by the governor or the provincial govenment. A cool PhP10,000.00 is awarded to a gold medalist. Because of the incentive, one student athlete accumulated PhP70,000.00 in a single sports event, according to Dr. Cauilan. That is a huge incentive! So, don’t wonder anymore why Apayao athletes are doing well in sports competitions.
With such initiatives, I will not be surprised if Apayao will surpass the other provinces in performance in the very near future.
Governor Bulut is also very supportive of the Apayao State College, which attained its present status in 1996 but its logo says 1998. It means, ASC is also the youngest among all State Universities and Colleges in CAR.
Recognizing the importance that ASC plays for the province, Bulut or the province PROVIDED what they needed. The only think they ask is their plan and the concomitant request. The province had given 1,000 hectares in Marag valley where the school will build a botanical garden, and as site other scientific studies. In addition, the province also provided 7.5 hectares, titled for a rainforest conservation, and where the school raises seedlings of indigenous species for distribution to others, generating income for the school. Another 5 has was given to the school in the Paco valley for sericulture, another 5 has for additional agricultural research and production activities plus another 40 has. For multi-purpose concerns.
What a support by the provincial LGU to ASC. It is not the other way around. That should be the partnership. A model, I may say. The province providing aid to the school and in turn, the school providing honor to the province. This is also what is prevailing in school-LGU partnership in many provinces in the country. Can we say that in Benguet?
ASC graduates are priority in all employment in the province and in the towns. That’s another form of support. The 4Ps beneficiaries are also being taken cared of well. The parents of beneficiaries are given tributes and rewards during their birthdays and even in death anniversaries.
Dr. Cauilan is not even one year in office at the ASC but she had already caught up with the governor’s enthusiasm and vision. That is why, it seems that many good things are perking up for the school. She has already served the government for 31 years. She applied for the ASC presidency without anyone backing her up. It was pure credential. She applied only on the last day of application, after much pondering.
She was a professor at the Cagayan State University before assuming the helms at ASC. According to her she was prepared well at CSU, having assumed two vice president positions, among others. She has 3 children, all of whom have already finished their first college courses, and currently doing second courses.
The new president was named as one of the ten outstanding women of Region 2 this year. This validates the fact that her becoming a president is not due to the push of anyone but her glowing credentials. She had the occasion to present research papers in international symposia in countries like the U.S., UAE, the Philippines, and others. She is therefore prioritizing research, development and extension.
She is now fixing all policies of the school, correcting processes, trying to finish school buildings left unfinished by her predecessors, procedures in selection processes. She intend to have a very transparent and participative management where faculty, admin staff and even students will have a say. These, according to her, should redound to a better accomplishments of her administration. Of course, she will be Banking on the support of everyone in the school but also the LGUs. The governor she says, only wants to see that she proves her worth so support will continue to flow.
She is not insecure by the fact that her last two predecessor presidents are in still employed in the school, maybe watching her intently in her performance?
I would like to believe that the school is on its way to greater heights. I have seen improvements in the school when I was there last week as part of an evaluation team, mostly from BSU, in their RDE in-house review.
After the evaluation, we went around Luna town guided Dr. Jun Baluscang, a friend and a former president of the school. More of this trip in the next issue.**
