This is the kind of corruption and regional favoritism of the north that all the people of Visayas and Mindanao needed to stop. Manila is no longer a powerhouse. The central and southern power hubs are gaining faster and will take over in the near future…..
The first article discussed the underfunded education of the Visayans compared to the Northern Tagalog dominated region. The second article discussed the long awaited cohesion of Central and Mindanao region.
THE Visayas will get the lowest allocation for its state-funded schools and universities, lower than those
allotted for the University of the Philippines (UP), which has five campuses all over the country, including one in the region.
All 26 state universities and colleges (SUCs) in the Visayas will only receive P3.8 billion out of the total P23.6-billion allotted by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
The amount is lower than the nearly P6 billion for the University of the Philippines System (UP) which has campuses in Manila, Quezon City, Baguio, Visayas, and Mindanao. The UP’s student population is around 50,000, according to its website.
Central Visayas which is home to five SUCs will receive only P701.6 million with Cebu Technological University (Cebu State College of Science and Technology) getting the highest of P266.2 million, as indicated in the DBM’s National Expenditure Program submitted to Congress.
Negros Oriental State University (Central Visayas Polytechnic College) will get P171.9 million, Bohol Island State University (Central Visayas State College of Agriculture, Forestry and Technology) will receive P129 million, Cebu Normal University, P102.9 million; and Siquijor State College, P31.5 million.
Western Visayas will get P1.6 billion for its 11 schools while Eastern Visayas will get P1.5 billion for 10 schools.
In Luzon, appropriation per region is as follows: National Capital Region, P7.9 billion; Cordillera Administrative Region, P628.3 million; Cagayan Valley, P997.5 million; Central Luzon, P1.6 billion; Calabarzon, P989 million; Mimaropa, P625.7 million; and Bicol Region, P1.2 billion.
Adiong Memorial Polytechnic State College located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm) will receive the lowest appropriation of P16.2 million. The DBM has proposed P2 billion for the six schools in Armm.
Other regions in Mindanao will get the following: Zamboanga Peninsula, P616.5 million; Northern Mindanao, P957 million; Davao Region, P304.7 million; Soccsksargen, P504.3 million; and Caraga, P302 million.
Kabataan Representative Raymond “Mong” Palatino earlier said that the proposed 2012 budget for SUCs has reduced maintenance and other operating expenses of 45 SUCs by P250.9 million.
The same proposed budget has reduced personal services of 58 SUCs by P403.3 million.
The Aquino administration has appropriated zero allocation for capital outlay since 2011, indicating that no funds have been set aside for the acquisition of equipment.
In the budget briefings held by the House committee on appropriations, several legislators have urged leaders of government agencies to realign a portion of their budget for state colleges.
The 2012 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) is set for plenary sponsorship when Congress resumes session in September after its long weekend break.
“We are done with committee hearings. We passed the committee report last Friday. We will sponsor the general appropriations bill in the plenary on September 6. We are right on schedule,” appropriations committee chair Joseph Emilio Abaya said. (Kathrina Alvarez/Sunnex) Sun Star – Wed, Aug 31, 2011
Ilocos Norte pols urge Gwen to run for senator in 2013
By Gregg M. Rubio The Freeman
CEBU, Philippines - Officials of the Province of Ilocos Norte have endorsed Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia for senator come the 2013 election together with Governor Imee Marcos.
The endorsement was made by Ilocos Norte Rep. Rudy Fariñas during their sisterhood visit in Cebu with the Marcos family led by former First Lady now Rep. Imelda Marcos, son Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, and Imee.
Fariñas was made to speak before officials of the Province of South Cotabato and Albay during the signing of agreements between Cebu Province and the two provinces at the Capitol Social Hall last Saturday.
Fariñas said in jest that they better also have the endorsement launched during that time in the presence of the delegations of around 80 local officials of Ilocos Norte, Albay led by Governor Joey Salceda, and South Cotabato led by Governor Arthur Pingoy. Imee backed the endorsement of Fariñas for Garcia Go for a seat in the Senate.
She said if the Garcias in Cebu have patriarch Deputy Speaker Pablo Garcia, who was also present during the occasion, the Marcoses also have their matriarch Imelda, their mother in Ilocos Norte.
Bongbong told reporters that Garcia has yet to tell them of her plans for 2013 when her term ends as governor of Cebu.
“Pero nandito kami at magkakaibigan naman tayong lahat. Seguro kung magkakataon man ay syempre magtutulungan ang mga kaibigan,” Bongbong said.
Bongbong said he was surprised to see South Cotabato and Albay meeting together in Cebu although politicians always think of what are they planning.
“Di kayo magtataka anong mangyayari. Nagsama na ang taga south, central may north pa. Ano ba’ng nasa eastern visayas, di ba Leyte (the hometown of Imelda)? Isa nalang sa west,” Bongbong said.
Bongbong admired the meeting together of governors Garcia, Imee, Salceda and Pingoy in Cebu.
“That is a good thing that the governors, especially these governors, whom I know to be progressive and I know to be thinking very hard for their provinces, I know to have shown a great deal of performances in their provinces,” he said.
Imee, on the other hand, said that what is good for Gwen is that she has a lot of options including a national position.
“Certainly we would be happy to endorse any future efforts from Ilocos Norte, because we look up to Cebu as separate, distinct power hub and genuine nation on its own. Cebu is a country, is not just a province,” Imee told reporters.
Next to the Province of Antique, Ilocos Norte is the second province in the country that established a sisterhood relationship with Cebu.
The visit of the delegation from Ilocos Norte was part of the exchanges stipulated in the agreement.
Ilocos Norte officials also witnessed the signing of sisterhood agreement between Cebu and South Cotabato led by Pingoy.
Pingoy said that the visit of Garcia in their province last month has changed the perception of the peace and order of their place as part of Mindanao.
“It’s a good start because in away we can improve the image of South Cotabato with regards to peace and order,” Pingoy said.
Also, the Province of Cebu and Albay signed the memorandum of economic partnership.
Following the signing, Salceda said a lot more to come as they still have to thresh out what economic partnership really means to both provinces.
Garcia still refused to give comment on the endorsement.
To recall, Garcia was also endorsed last year by Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla for senator in 2013 and the Revillas in Cavite will be behind her. — /NLQ (FREEMAN) August 15, 2011
1 comment:
Gwen is being attacked now by imperial Manila. This means that they are afraid of what a united Visayan can do. They want to put their puppet in place of Gwen as governor, weak pathetic fools!
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