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Gov.
Erico Aumentado Thursday submitted to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan
(SP) a P44.26-M supplemental budget to cover, among others,
the 10-percent across the board salary increase for regular
and casual employees of the provincial government effective
March 1.
The
salary increases is the biggest item in the supplemental budget
that the SP under Vice Governor Julius Caesar Herrera approved
the following day.
The
increase elicited wild cheers especially from the rank and
file as they see hope of coping with the spiraling cost of
living through this blessing from the Aumentado-Herrera administration.
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Also
given top priority in the supplemental budget are the
concreting of the Guindulman-Anda provincial road leading
to the Anda Peninsula tourist destination - the governor's
top priority after Panglao, P6.5 million; tertiary roads
maintenance for contract with the barangays, P2.2 million
and the waste water treatment facility at the Capitol
complex, P2 million.
Panglao
has been drawing tourists that in turn is attracting
investors even as the provincial government is pushing
the procurement of lands for the Panglao Bohol International
Airport Development Project (PBIADP).
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Aumentado
expressed apprehension that the buying of lots may be too
slow for comfort to beat the time frame. However, he declared
that expropriation will still be a last resort.
He
said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had insisted that the
airport be an international one instead of "domestic
but of international standards," and that its construction
be finished in 2010 or within her term of office.
After
Panglao, he has set his sights on the Anda Peninsula which
also has powdery white sand beaches, crystal clear seawaters,
pristine environment, investors ready to develop a complete
golf course and proximity to the Ubay and Tapal ports which
are part of the President's Strong Republic Nautical Highway.
The
Ubay Port is the province's gateway to Pasay City in Manila
through barges that ferry buses to Leyte, Samar and on to
Sorsogon.
The
Tapal Port, also in Ubay, is Bohol's gateway to Maasin City
in Leyte and on to Surigao also by barge, and from that point,
to and all other areas in Mindanao, by land.
Meanwhile,
Aumentado has been urging the towns to procure heavy equipment
to enable them to enter into contracts with the provincial
government to maintain tertiary roads classified as provincial
or even barangay roads. In most cases under such contracts,
the barangays provide the manpower for labor, and even fuel
for the heavy equipment and honoraria for the operators.
On
the other hand, the waste water treatment facility at the
Capitol will reduce contaminants to the barest minimum. As
such, it can tap into the drainage system in Tagbilaran City
constructed by Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Co.,
Ltd. without endangering with pollutants the Maribojoc Bay
where the sewers or storm waters will eventually discharge.
Other
items in the supplemental budget are the terminal leave for
Aumentado and Provincial Board (PB members Concepcion Lim
and Amalia Tirol and their legislative staff assistants (LSAs)
pegged at P1.5 million and P2 million, respectively, concreting
of a farm-to-market/tourism road in Anda, P907,000; payment
of a 232-square-meter lot at the New Capitol Site for the
Proposed Pres. Carlos P. Garcia Park at P2,000 per sq.m.,
P464,000 and representation allowance for the Commission on
Elections Supervisor at P2,000 monthly or P20,000.
The
allocations add up to P41,591,000. With the additional contingency
or reserve fund of P2,669,556.25, the total supplemental budget
stands at P44,260,556.25 taken from the Unappropriated Surplus
for Calendar Year 2006 per certification issued by the Local
Finance Committee.
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