Aumentado pushes for Malinao Dam upgrading

Malinao Dam

By JUNE S. BLANCO

REP. Erico Aumentado (Bohol, 2nd District) is pushing anew for the upgrading of the Malinao Dam in Pilar town.

In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, the solon said it is high time to implement the project, to be funded by the Korea Export-Import Bank (Eximbank), in order to double its reservoir capacity from five million to 10 million cubic meters.

This way, he said, water for its present service area of 4,968 hectares will be sufficient to spare the rice lands therein from the ravages the El Niño phenomenon.

Congress is now preparing the 2013 budget. He said he commits to prioritize the insertion of funding for the dam upgrading project so that it can be implemented next year.

He said the project was already approved by the National Economic Development Authority Investment Coordination Committee Technical Board (Neda-ICC Technical Board) and is due for deliberation by the Neda Board and Cabinet group on  September 25 for their approval.

To note, he said, the Korea Eximbank and Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) had allotted around P800 million for the upgrading project in official development assistance (ODA) as a concessional loan with a liberal and long-term repayment schedule.

The additional five million cubic meters, he explained, can already add about 2,730 hectares of irrigable rice lands in Pilar, Dagohoy, Trinidad, San Miguel, Ubay and Alicia towns.

He suggested to Alcala that the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) put up the forward obligational authority Government of the Philippines (GOP) counterpart fund to trigger the initial release of ODA. This way, the project can be started in 2013 and completed in 2016 – within the reformist and righteous path of the Aquino administration.

To recall, under Aumentado’s watch as governor, the provincial government received a UD$1 million grant or P800 million from the Korean International Cooperation Agency for the conduct of a feasibility study (FS) and detailed engineering design (DED) for the Malinao Dam upgrading project.

At the same time, Aumentado submitted to Alcala a letter formalizing his request for the release of funding for 50 solar driers for the 2nd District. The post-harvest facilities, he explained, are urgently needed to ensure the proper drying of palay to the acceptable moisture content.

A ready buyer, he said, is committed to buy the palay at one peso higher per kilo than the buying price of the National Food Authority (NFA). The Alturas Group of Companies, he explained, has entered into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with his office and the irrigators’ associations (IAs) in his district as part of the comprehensive “Plant Hybrid Rice and Fertilize Now Pay Later” program and the ratooning project.

Aumentado provides P3 million from his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PAF) for the fertilizer for participating farmers with an aggregate 3,000 hectares of irrigated rice lands devoted to hybrid and in-bred rice with the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Region 7 office based in Tagbilaran City and the Bohol Agricultural Promotion Center as project implementers.

Hybrid rice, the proper fertilization, offers double yield from the same land area while rationing allows a second crop from one planting or a third crop in a year – with the proper fertilization also.

Both the Malinao Dam upgrading and the solar driers are basic support infrastructure for President Aquino’s rice self-sufficiency program and goal of discontinuing rice importation as this benefits foreign farmers only, he said.

Rico asserts Congress power of appropriation

By Marlon Balmadrid   

QUEZON CITY – Rep. Erico Aumentado (Bohol, 2nd District) has asserted that the power of appropriation belongs to the domain of the Congress of the Philippines citing the constitutional provision that “no money shall be paid out of the Treasury except in pursuance of an appropriation made by law.”

The solon made the assertion that the power of the purse is one of the most important prerogative of the Congress as he pushed for the appropriation of P600 billion under his House Bill No.6469 entitled “ Public Works Flood Control Act of 2012.”

The power of appropriation, Aumentado said, originates from the House of Representatives. He said the Constitution provides that “All appropriation, revenue or tariff bills, bills authorizing increase of the public debt, bills of local application, and private bills, shall originate exclusively in the House of Representatives, but the Senate may propose or concur with amendments.”

The bill seeks to authorize and appropriate funds for the Department of Public Works and Highways to craft and implement a master plan for the flood control of the entire country with emphasis on and prioritization of Metro Manila, Central Luzon and the CALABARZON areas, which were hardest hit by the recent floods brought about by the monsoon rains.

The lawmaker said the country becomes vulnerable to massive flooding during typhoons, monsoon rains and occurrence of low pressure areas. He added that these floods have caused tremendous losses of lives and properties wasting billions of pesos worth of destruction and economic loses.

In tune with the reformist governance of Pres. Aquino and his political will to pursue a master plan against the devastating floods in the country, Aumentado said now is the opportune time for the Congress to enact a public works flood control law which will be implemented on a multi-year basis up to the year 2040.

To note, DPWH intends to develop a safe society resilient to floods as the Aquino government’s response to the massive destruction wrought by the floods whipped by typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng, and just recently, by the habagat monsoon rains with a wide swath of destruction in Metro Manila, Central Luzon and the CALABARZON area. The plan entails an outlay of P352 billion, the solon noted.

In his explanatory note, Aumentado sad the country remembers the tremendous loss of lives and properties in previous tragedies such as the Ormoc flood, the Ginsaugon Southern Leyte flood and landslide, the Cagayan De Oro and Iligan City floods as well as the CARAGA region floods and landslides. Western and Central Visayas also suffered destruction of lives and properties due to floods and landslides whipped up by typhoons and monsoon rains.

He said floods also occur in Northern Luzon, the Bicol region, Visayas and Mindanao hence the need for DPWH to craft a long-term flood control program for these regions.

He estimates that a nationwide flood control program would cost P600 billion. The amount  can be sourced from the national treasury through a multi-year appropriation.

It can also be funded by official development assistance (ODA) of donor countries such as Japan, Korea, the United States of America, Australia, Great Britain, Canada, the European Union and even China.

He also cited lending institutions of concessional loans such as the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Korea Economic Development Cooperation Fund – Eximbank, the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank, among others, can also be tapped for the purpose.

In closing, Aumentado said that the DPWH headed by visionary and well respected Secretary Rogelio Singson is the appropriate agency to implement this massive nationwide flood control program.

Erico supports 4Ps P44.255-B 2013 outlay

By JUNE S. BLANCO

REP. Erico Aumentado (2nd District, Bohol) has supported the P44.255-B outlay for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and the other outlays for livelihood and Kalahi-Cidss allocations under the 2013 proposed General Appropriations Act even as he urged the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to prepare an exit program for the 4Ps beneficiaries once the government decides to end the poverty reduction project.

Aumentado, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, made the pronouncement as the 2nd District received an additional 1,495 Pantawid Pamilya potential households under set No. 6.

The additional households are intended for Bien Unido, 74; Buenavista, 102; Dagohoy, 351; Inabanga, 173; Getafe, 147; President Carlos P. Garcia, 153; Trinidad, 82; and Ubay, 413.

Director Ma. Evelyn Macapobre said the households were considered potential beneficiaries after meeting the requirements of eligibility such as residents of the poorest municipality, having child/children 0-14 years old, pregnant household member at the time of the assessment and households whose economic condition is equal to or below the provincial poverty threshold.

On the other hand, aware of Aumentado’s continuing support of the DSWD budget, Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman informed the solon that as of July 2012, the total outlay for the 2nd District Pantawid Pamilya amounted to P92,304,900 broken down as follows:

Bien Unido, P6,972,000; Buenavista, P6,968,800; Clarin, P2,655,200; Dagohoy, P3,892,700; Danao, P4,983,300; Inabanga, P6,782,800; Getafe, P8,648,900; Pres. Carlos P. Garcia, P6,902,600; Sagbayan, P3,375,100; San Isidro, P1,163,300; San Miguel, P5,031,400; Talibon, P10,990,900; Trinidad, P6,999,300; and Ubay, P16,938,600.

On the Kalahi-Cidss or Kapitbisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services, Soliman told Aumentado that the amount of P150,970,065.17 had been released for Bien Unido, P9,828,630; Buenavista, P26,975,186.95; Danao, P14,027,400; Getafe, P15,806,517; Pres. Carlos P. Garcia, P15,091,232; San Miguel, P13,319,696; Talibon, P15,633,851.02; Trinidad, P13,851,955.21; and Ubay, P26,435,596.99.

Soliman also said the 2nd District has been the recipient of sustainable livelihood for Pantawid Pamilya and non-Pantawid Pamilya as well as supplementary feeding, rice subsidy, social pension for indigent senior citizens, core shelter, assistance for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and disaster relief.

Finally, the DSWD secretary reported to Aumentado the rice subsidy and social pension for indigent senior citizens released for the 2nd District as follows: rice subsidy, P56,440,329 and social pension, P7,000,572.

The distribution of the said subsidies is as follows: Bien Unido, P3,959,076 and P427,500; Buenavista, P4,710,948 and P841,000; Clarin, P1,386,264 and P155,500; Dagohoy, P2,778,402 and P486,000; Danao, P2,898,819 and P262,000; Inabanga, P4,428,996 and P718,500; Getafe, P5,307,159 and P646,500; Pres. Carlos P. Garcia, P4,584,657 and 526,500; Sagbayan, P1,756,326 and P326,500; San Isidro, P625,581 and P182,500; San Miguel, P3,359,928 and P333,500; Talibon, P6,373,290 and P473,000; Trinidad, P4,411,374 and P639,000; and Ubay, P9,859,509 and P1,554,000.

Aumentado commended President Noynoy Aquino for continuing and expanding considerably the program started by the Arroyo administration with a P10-billion support fund for conditional cash transfer only, patterned after Brazil and Mexico without the livelihood and other components now introduced by the Aquino administration.

Rico to talk peace at Rotary forum

 By JUNE S. BLANCO

REP. Erico Aumentado (Bohol, 2nd District) will the represent local government units (LGU) sector during the 2012 Peace Festival on September 28 at the SMX Convention Center.

In her letter-invitation to Aumentado, Peace President Liza Manalo-Mapagu, festival chair, said when they presented the draft program to the Civil Relations Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (CRS-AFP) and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (Opapp), “there was a consensus that we have to include one of the most important sectors in peace-making and peace-building which is the LGU sector.”

She further said the attendees unanimously chose Aumentado to represent the sector and that “they are excited to bring you in on the discussion to show the very inspiring ‘Bohol Peace Story”. 

Mapagu also said there will be no speeches at the forum but it will be a highly interactive panel discussion.

It aims to shed light on Bohol’s “winning moments” and accomplishments, what else the organization will do or should have done, what it can we do together with the Rotary, Opapp, CRS-AFP and others to sustain the accomplishments, what specific activities and projects can the LGU sector or the public do to support the agencies/organizations and advocates on peace.

Hosted by the Rotary Clubs of District 3830 and Opapp, the event is a national gathering devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, recognizing and celebrating peace initiative efforts, and deepening commitment by various sectors to winning the peace.

The gathering revolves around the theme “Celebrating Together for Peace”, with around 1,000 participants from various sectors working on peace, and Rotarians from the different districts in the country attending.

Mapagu said the conference will bring in all national leaders who are involved in the peace initiatives in an interactive panel and a peace workshop for the new generation.

Opapp Secretary Teresita Deles and District Governor Suzanne Sta. Maria of Rotary international District 3830 also signed the Mapagu invitation.

To note, before this term as congressman, Aumentado was a three-termer governor of Bohol who pushed a civilian-led anti-insurgency program dubbed by one brigade commander as the “left hand-right hand approach” that contributed to the joint declaration by the military and the police that the province was already insurgency-free.