I THINK THEREFORE MY VOTE IS FOR ABANTE ESCALANTE TEAM!

The ABANTE ESCALANTE TEAM believes that government is more of a facilitator and catalyst to create the right synergy and atmosphere conducive for the public-private sectors cooperation and collaboration where the PRIVATE SECTOR SHALL TAKE THE VITAL ROLE in THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN NATION BUILDING and GOVERNMENT AS A HELPER IN ATTAINING SUCH END IN IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF EACH ESCALANTEHANON THRU ITS TRANSFORMATION, EMPOWERMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND PROGRESS!

In line with this firm belief, we have crafted and implemented the fundamental platform of governance under the multi-awarded and nationally recognized programs during our humble watch from 1998-2007, which is coined as HELPERS PLUS, a total human liberation package with different entry points of engagement and concerns to alleviate the QUALITY OF LIFE OF OUR PEOPLE. HELPERS PLUS refer to as H – ealth & social services; E- ducation, culture, sports & the youth; L – ivelihood and Entrepreneurship; P- eace and Order, Public Safety; E – nviroment protection, preservation and development; R – evenue generation and resource development; S – helter; the plus includes all developmental infrastructures i.e. farms to markets road networks, power, water; programs e.g. tourism and investment promotion and development and other priority projects that will redound to a better Escalante City!

Today, we humbly present our HELPERS PLUS PART 2, to continue, restore, improve and expand our quest to accord each ESCALANTEHANON a better quality of life, where freedom from fear and respect of individual human rights are totally guaranteed! The freedom of each Escalantehanon to express his/her sentiments without being monitored and intimidated by the power that be and its agents be respected! True and real democracy shall be the primodial concern of everybody!

THE ABANTE ESCALANTE TEAM PLEDGED TO WORK FOR THE REALIZATION OF THE FOLLOWING PRIORITY PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS UNDER THE HELPERS PLUS PART 2 FUNDAMENTAL PROGRAM OF GOVERNANCE:

HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES:

HEALTH:

1. 1. To attain an almost 100% coverage of PHILHEALTH by all households in Escalante. We target to enroll 10,000 households under the PHILHEALTH SA MAHIRAP PROGRAM within our term of office; The remaining households shall be covered by their existing employment in the private and public sectors.

2. 2. To try to make available to our people affordable and quality medicines thru cooperative and participative efforts by national, provincial and city resources with full participation of Philhealth at the hospital and/or Botika sa Barangay levels.

3. 3. To strengthen and expand or improve diagnostic equipment and facilities.

4. 4. To make representation with the Provincial government and help complete and upgrade the proposed plans for the Dr. Vicente Gustilo District Hospital in expanding it into a secondary hospital with tertiary hospital standards services and equipment with the collaboration and cooperative support of all levels of government, NGAs, NGOs, and other International institutions or organizations.

5. 5. To establish a fund for additional health insurance coverage on a LGU and members participating equity basis.

6. 6. To strengthen the City Health Office personnel and services to better improve its programs and project implementation efficiency thru professionalization and respect of the career system with additional benefits on reward/attrition basis.

7. Regular barangay and schools visitation by health personnel in the implementation of preventive public health measures and other health sector programs and/or projects.

8. 8. Review, evaluate and implement nutrition programs in the barangays

WOMEN, CHILDREN & FAMILY:

1. Revive and restore the women center and its emergency shelter and its services.

2. 2. Revive and restore the barangay Pamilya Quick Response Team

3. 3. Strengthen existing and expand women organizations in the barangays as an avenue for their empowerment and support links.

SENIOR CITIZENS:

1. To exempt indigent Senior Citizens from payment in the availment of diagnostic services available in the City Health Office as authorized by law.

2. 2. To make representation with the Sangguniang to set aside fund for medical/medicines to be allotted for the indigent senior citizens.

3. 3. To make representation with the Sangguniang to mandate that all special bodies of the City that Senior Citizens shall be represented.

4. 4. To help strengthen the Senior Citizens organization in the barangays as their support net and link

EDUCATION, CULTURES, SPORTS AND THE YOUTH:

EDUCATION:

1. To establish a yearly fund of P10M as a “SKOLAR NG BAYAN” fund to be taken from City, Provincial & National government or NGAs, NGOs and/or Corporate sponsors. This is envision to give opportunity to indigent but deserving Students to pursue their tertiary education with a P10,000 per scholar subsidy per annum of 200 students per year level. The remaining P2m shall be allotted for the DepEd teaching personnel for their masteral course under the EXCELLENCE AND COMPETENCE ADVANCEMENT PROGRAM.

2. 2. To make representation to find partner sponsors from the private sector to adopt an elementary public school for IT LEARNINGS. The partner sponsor shall be responsible to provide at least 20 units Computer per elementary school for the students and teachers learnings on Information Technology. This is to jumpstart our public school education on IT starting from Grade 1 to become at par with the private schools. This aim to make our elementary students be computer literate at a younger age where it has become a very necessary and effective tools for learnings and communication in the new era of cyber technology. Each school shall be connected to the internet.

3. 3. To endeavor to establish special courses for our teachers to improve their proficiency in English, Sciences and Math to better prepare them for a quality education to our children.

4. 4. To make representation and help strengthen and improve NONESCOST Escalante campus facility and building wise.

5. 5. To rehabilitate, improve and build new classrooms or function rooms for the elementary and public high schools.

6. 6. To source funds for the construction of a City Division of Schools offices and administrative buildings.

7. 7. To establish more night high Schools and additional needed extension day high schools in the barangays.

8. 8. To source for fund in the institutionalization of in school feeding program in the elementary schools in order to mitigate truancy and dropouts rates.

SP SPORTS AND THE YOUTH:

1. To strengthen and revive the Age group Sports development programs.

2. To revive and expand the Training the Trainors and coaches program and their accreditation

3. 2. To sponsor and organize sports competitions regularly to give more opportunities for our athletes and coaches to hone their abilities and training in open competitions

4. 3. To hire outside trainors/consultants to assist in the mid and long term development programs

5. 4. To encourage private sector cooperation and support in the formation and/or adoption of teams on a sponsorship program

6. 5. To establish a Youth Center

LIVELIHOOD AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP:

1. To set up and revive the Training Center at Sitio Bug-as for skill, trade and business promotion and development. This is to tie up with TESDA, DTI, DOST, TLDC and other agencies or institutions or organizations

2. 2. To revive and restore the online JOB MATCHING and Employment program of DOLE –LGU. Assistance in preparing personal resume or application letter can be availed of.

3. 3. To revive and improve the BUSINESS PROMOTION ASSISTANCE Office

4. 4. To make representation with the private sector to set up the BUSINESS AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION CENTER, to be run and managed by the private sector but subsidize by the City government, Provincial and DTI. This is to assist businessmen or investors for whatever documentary needs or requirements in organizing his or her business in Escalante

5. 5. To strengthen and improve the Cooperative movement in the City thru collaboration and support by CDA, DTI, TESDA, LANDBANK and TLDC

6. 6. To establish ONLINE e Commerce website and/or various social network in the internet

7. 7. To re-establish, rehab and strengthen the moribund e Barangay and wifi facilities in the barangays for free or minimal expense communication systems utilizing Skype or Yahoo Messenger (ym) in the internet

8. 8. To train micro entrepreneurs with tie up with Go Negosyo including the youth and women

9. 9. To strengthen the capability and capacity of the City PESO

10.10. To organize regularly trade and job fairs

11.11. To re introduce demo farmings for hi value crops, fruits, vegetables, poultry, livestocks in order to train and teach farmers the correct methology and cultural practices for higher yields

PEACE AND ORDER, PUBLIC SAFETY:

POLICE WORKS:

1. 1. To strengthen and empower the CITY PEACE AND ORDER COUNCIL to address the peace and order concerns of the City immediately. To see to it that the local police shall be apolitical.

2. 2. To set up a LEGAL ASSISTANCE DESK at the City Legal Office to assist indigent litigants and Agrarian Reforms concerns

3. 3. To establish an Agrarian Reform Arbitration desk under the City Legal Office to help defuse irritants and illegal occupations of private land with the assistance of DAR-MARO

4. 4. To strengthen and improve our police capability and capacity in rendering their police works, including their safety gears in exercising their police functions

5. 5. To set up sub precinct or compact station in Mabini, Escalante City.

6. 6. To make representation for additional personnel for the City PNP station

7. 7. To rehab existing vehicles and equipments

JAIL AND PENOLOGY, CORRECTIONAL:

1. To make representation with the BJMP for the feasibility of setting up a women and children correctional at the Langub purchased property (Bawa-an)

BUREAU OF FIRE PROTECTION:

1. To rehab all existing fire trucks

2. 2. To make representation and source fund for the construction of a permanent modern fire station

3. 3. To establish a sub fire station at Mabini, Escalante City, Negros Occidental

4. 4. Endeavor to encourage the local business community to support in the organization of volunteer fire brigades, including in the Barangays

5. 5. To make representation and source for fund to augment safety gears and equipment for effective firefighting capability

6. 6. To continuously and regularly conduct training and seminars on fire prevention and /or firefighting to all stakeholders

7. 7. To make representation with the BFP for additional nationally paid personnel to be assigned in Escalante City based on the number of Fire trucks now deployed.

RESCUE/AMBULANCE SERVICE:

1. To rehab all existing ambulance units that needs fixing including equipments

2. 2. To have all personnel train with duly accredited agency for EMS or Emergency First Responders

3. 3. To equip all units with 2 way radio or wireless telephone

4. 4. To have personnel on standby 24/7

5. 5. To help source fund for the purchase of two (2) units Ambulance for Dian-ay and Rizal for the 5 star barangays

ENVIROMENT:

1. To source for fund to set a landfill for our solid waste

2. 2. To strictly enforce the Solid Waste Management requirements under RA 9003

3. 3. To strengthen and train personnel under the newly created CENRO for their mandated jobs.

4. 4. To make representation to have Danao River rehabilitated and re invigorated

5. 5. To mandate all 21 barangays to have environmental protection, preservation and development master plan in their corresponding barangay with tree farms/parks

6. 6. To develop the MT Lunay mountain park and resort owned by the City

7. 7. To develop the hot spring resources at Barangay Pinapugasan, Escalante City , Neg. Occ.

8. 8. To re establish the Escalante Bay marine sanctuary

9. 9. To encourage the production of organic fertilizers, recyclables and other products in the practice for solid waste management programs by the private sector thru the assistance by the CENRO

10.10. To make representation with NGAs, foreign government or international institutions to assist and fund if any, in the construction of mini dam or rainwater impounders in areas feasible for such projects in the barangays for irrigation purposes to our farmers.

REVENUE GENERATION/RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT:

1. 1. To review, re evaluate and collect arrearage of fees, taxes from the businesses and real properties owners. Make representation with the Sangguniang to condone penalties, surcharges and interest if feasibly possible by law.

2. 2. To set up a livestocks, fruits, vegetables, crops, poultry farmers and auction markets at Jonob-jonob, Escalante City.

3. 3. To digitalize all properties through the Google Earth subscription for a better and efficient identification of real properties and ownership. This is an effective tool for tax collection

4. 4. To make representation with the Landbank and the DAR to assist in the collection of Real Property taxes with the Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries byu coordinating with the City Treasurer’s Office before awarding of the CLOA.

5. 5. To re-assess and evaluate the operation of the local waterworks

6. 6. To plug loopholes in the collections and management of the Escalante City Shopping Center. A management committee shall be organized to immediately take over the management of the Center and immediate exhaustive inventory and audit shall be conducted

7. 7. To conduct internal audit of all consumables and expenditures e.g. fuel, electricity etc.

8. 8. To set up an assets monitoring and utilization oversight committee in the GSO/CTO to check the judicious use of all assets of the city.

9. 9. To have regular training of officials, officers and employees to improve their capacity and capability

10.10. Review existing Revenue Code of the City.

SHELTER:

1. 1. To resume the Kalinga Escalante 21 poverty housing program using the Gawad Kalinga as a strategy in township development and sustainable nation building

2. 2. To set up 3,000 units in 30 villages in 6 years

3. 3.To continue landbanking activities in the 21 barangays if necessary.

4. 4. To make representation to tie up with UNDP, ADB,WB and other institutions for the other stakeholders in the shelter program