BONTOC, Mountain
Province – The Mountain Province Polytechnic College held a “social
accountability and election forum” at the school here Wednesday for candidates
in all levels to present their platforms.
This, to give
MPSPC students, faculty and staff including the public to know better
congressional, gubernatorial and vice- gubernatorial candidates of the province.
The MPSPC invited all candidates for
congressional, gubernatorial, and vice-gubernatorial posts but only five chose
to face the academic community.
Of the
aspirants for the lone congressional district of Mountain Province, Allen S.
Ocden and Anthony D. Wooden attended.
Of the
aspirants for governor, only Harry C. Dominguez and Mateo L. Chiyawan chose to
face the academic community. Only Ezra Samson A. Gomez of the
vice-gubernatorial candidates appeared.
During the
forum, Gomez that he will work to increase the scholarship assistance received
by students and also source out funds from different agencies for this matter.
Chiyawan said
all legal actions can be done to help the college attain and complete its
requirements specifically on landholdings and physical facilities.
Dominguez,
another gubernatorial candidate, answering the question on the unemployment and
job order situation in employment said that he will promote the province as an
investment hub.
Ocden, a
congressional candidate, focused his speech on removing corruption in Mountain
Province.
He also
promised to help the college comply with requirements for facilities.
Wooden,
another congressional candidate, spoke of regional autonomy.
When asked
about his plans on solving the issue relative to dominance of politicians and
government officials regarding the selection of grantees in the Tertiary
Education Subsidy, he said he will formulate a separate committee specifically
tasked for this matter.
Questions did
not only revolve around their plans for the province but included those for
MPSPC as well.
Some
questions asked were their plans to help the college to reach its university
status.
MPSPC had
been in pursuit of achieving university status but some of the requirements
hinder this quest, much more that these were beyond the control of the college.
Specifying
that some of the main factors were on landholdings and lack of physical
facilities, candidates were one in saying the college has to be helped in
achieving a university status.
Before the
forum proper, alumni relations and job placement coordinator Carolyne Dale
Castañeda informed the candidates and the audience of the procedures and
guidelines of the forum. The forum was followed by the covenant signing as the
event also served as venue for the candidates to promote social accountability
for a clean, peaceful and honest election.
“This
activity was a non-partisan forum as the institution is a non-partisan
organization. The audience was prioritized to MPSPC personnel and students,
thus, candidates were also advised not to bring with them more than 10
supporters and election paraphernalia are not allowed within the school
premises,” Castañeda said.
Each of the
candidates were given five minutes to discuss their platforms and two minutes
in which to answer questions from the audience.
A five-minute
closing statement was also afforded each candidate. Selected faculty members
and students served as members of the panel. Several questions were asked per
candidate focusing on their programs during their opening statements.
After the
open forum, a covenant signing was made witnessed by the audience stating that
the candidates commit themselves for an honest and clean election free from any
unfavorable actions that might degrade the right of each candidate to a proper
election process and the right of the Filipino citizens for suffrage.
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