Gov Padilla sets ELA2023-2025 direction

Gov Padilla sets ELA2023-2025 direction

The chiefs of the different offices of the Provincial Government of Nueva Vizcaya (PGNV) and divisions under the Governor’s Office converged on June 12-14, 2022 at the Azalea Hotel in Baguio City to formulate the executive and legislative development agenda for the CY2023-2025 that will serve as a guide of the incoming set of elected PGNV officials headed by three-termer Governor Carlos M. Padilla.

Part of the three-day planning exercise was an assessment of the present and projected socio-economic status of the province, and the accomplishments of the PGNV, alongside its partners, for the last three years vis-a-vis their budgeted programs, activities, and projects (PAPs) under the PRAYERS N FAITH platform of public administration and governance through the leadership of Governor Padilla.

In setting the tone of the three-day planning exercise, Governor Padilla stressed that, although the province’s poverty rate has declined in 2021, the PAPs that can help in reducing it further and also bring about accelerated transformational development, which have not been implemented during his previous terms should all be put in place, with some modifications, if need be.

As a way of streamlining bureaucratic processes that will also help in maximizing the utility of executive ability, among others, Governor Padilla said that, as much as possible, those issues and concerns which can be addressed by the PGNV officers at their level need not be raised to him. He then directed them to study this proposition in consultation with the Provincial Legal Office.

Citing his observation in Congress and decades of experience with national government agencies getting only about 1/4 of their budget proposals, Governor Padilla advanced the adoption of reasonable budget ceilings, while aiming for optimized outputs. This, he said, is an important task of the Local Finance Committee.

Wise fiscal management has become more imperative in view of the challenges and difficulties associated with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Ukraine-Russia conflict, and other global and domestic uncertainties, that have the tendency of reducing resources and limiting capabilities.

“We, therefore, need to take a closer look at our expenditures, sources of revenues, and existing facilities, systems, and policies”, he said.

As regards the use of Wikang Filipino among PGNV offices pushed by Governor Padilla early last month, through the office of Provincial Administrator Maybelle Dumlao-Sevillena, pursuant to R.A. No. 7104, otherwise known as the Commission on the Filipino Language Act, that created the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF), and other relevant legislative and executive issuances, he said that he is taking cognizance of the difficulties faced by the PGNV personnel, assuaging them that such are just “birth pains” generally attributable to the implementation of new initiatives. “We’re glad that we have already taken the initial steps, as we also need to put in place some sustainability measures”, he added.

Incidentally, then-Congressman Padilla was one of the authors of the said law, which is in pursuance of the constitutional provision mandating the Congress to establish a national language commission, composed of representatives of various regions and disciplines, which shall undertake, coordinate, and promote research for the development, propagation, and preservation of Filipino and other Philippine languages.

He then thanked the participants and their staff for all their efforts and asked for their continuing support as he leads the province for a third term.