Kalinga faces bright New Year with projects, awards and good leadership

By Henry Baluga Gupaal

TABUK CITY, Kalinga – Kalinga once again faces a bright New Year -- a venue of dynamism and change with Gov. Jocel C. Baac at the helm of the provincial government. Since July 2010, when he assumed as Provincial Governor, the development and progress of the province had been evident with his leadership of firm and purposeful determination, good managerial skill and political will.

With Baac as governor, Kalinga became three time awardee of the Seal of Good Housekeeping and Good Governance from the Dept. of Interior and Local Government in 2012, 2013, and 2014. The award money was used for the four lanes concreting of the provincial roads.

In 2012, Kalinga achieved another milestone in its history having graduated from the club of 20 poorest provinces in the country. It is now number 43 as per National Statistics Board rating.

True to his campaign platform that the resources of government must be used judiciously for the improvement of the community, Baac started development of basic infrastructures and socio-economic services that affect daily lives of the people.

Foremost among these was the completion of the capitol gym which was started by his predecessors; renovation of the old capitol building; the construction of the new enterprise building; then the concreting of the provincial road from Bulanao to Balong into four lanes; then the lighting of the provincial road from the white Carabao to Davidson hotel with the attendant putting of the center island; the concreting into four lane of the provincial road from the rotunda to Ballog residence in Bulanao with street lights and center island; the lighting of the six lane boulevard.

The Provincial Government was also the implementing agency of the PAMANA project downloaded by the DILG amounting to P20 million for concreting of the Allaguia-Asibanglan Provincial Road which was  much appreciated by Secretary Deles of OPAPP as one of the best implemented PAMANA projects in the country.

Aside from these, the Province was again a recipient of the World Bank PRDP funded farm-road projects composed of the Banneng-Gumbowoy FMR of Pangol, Tanudan with an amount of P118 million ; Bulanao-Amlao FMR concreting P180 Million; CatabboganWagud farm to market road with P223 million. Banneng-Gumbowoy FMR and Bulanao-Amlao already bid out, while Catabbogan’s bidding will be held this year.

The improvement of the health facilities was another key area where the money of the government was put to good use with construction of the new building at the Kalinga Provincial Hospital and at the Pinukpuk District Hospital. All the other district hospitals of Lubuagan, Balbalan and Rizal are renovated. The construction of the Tanudan District hospital is also being undertaken.

In agriculture, the province was twice awarded for being one of the top ten rice producing provinces in the country today. Thanks to our farmers for their industry and dedication to food security and sufficiency. A new building for farmers’ academy was constructed from the award given to the province.

This, as the Upper Chico River Irrigation System (UCRIS) was repaired after it was washed-out by strong typhoons with dry run held last Dec. 28.  On Jan. 1, 2016, the UCRIS was in full operation. This would benefit once again the province particularly farmers, traders and folks who live near it and rely on the facility for their livelihood and survival. Kalinga once again is bullish for socio-economic development with the coming of the New Year. (Henry B. Gupaal is Executive Secretary to the Governor).