Davide: You will have an honest Capitol

With the end of the reign of a family dynasty, Gov. Hilario Davide III  said his administration would bring “balanced growth” and “genuine change” through good governance in the next three years.

“You will have an honest Capitol,” he said in his inaugural address, drawing  loud applause in the Capitol social hall.

The 46-year-old lawyer spelled out his vision of a Cebu province that is  “ideal” for work, recreation, and a good home “where the Cebuano may raise his family in peace.”

Davide promised to improve health services in district hospitals, reach out to consult the private sector on countryside development programs, empower farmers, and protect the environment.

“You expressed your trust and confidence in me. This is a mandate which must be held sacred and fulfilled with utmost fidelity. With God’s help, I shall not fail you and our beloved Cebu,” he said.

Shortly before 12 noon, standing before his family and over 500 guests, Davide was sworn in along with Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale and members of the Provincial Board after a 10 a.m. Sunday mass.

Interior Secretary Mar Roxas II, who administrered the oath of office, emphasized the historic nature of the event.

“For the first time in a generation, in 18 years … we have a governor who doesn’t have the same surname as the previous, who doesn’t come from the same political family,” said Roxas.

Davide defeated Rep. Pablo John Garcia, who had hoped to take over from his sister Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, who served from 2004 to 2013, following their father’s three-term stint from 1996 to 2004.

In his remarks, Roxas reminded newly elected officials to be ready to make “hard decisions” and accept that “you will not be able to please everyone”.

“The elections were about your victory and now it’s time for the victory of the people. You are the tools and implements to make the change and to bring them to a better tomorrow,”  said the Secretary.

BALANCED GROWTH

In a 10-minute speech, where he spoke in English and Cebuano, Davide outlined  the priorities of his administration.

Cebu, with its almost 4 million population and high level of development, wrestles with problems of traffic, “overloaded infrastructure” crowded classrooms, and strained sources of water, power and waste management, he said.

“Unless we reorient our efforts, this progress will do more harm than good.  The situation begs for a more balanced growth.”

Davide said the province’s development strategy would be anchored on their 2013 campaign for “genuine change for Cebu”  following the “path of righteousness”  of President Aquino’s “daang matuwid” (straight road).

“Honest, transparent, effective, efficient, and sincere government is the backbone of real and sustainable progress,” said the former Cebu city councilor.

Davide was elected on his second bid for the governorship  after losing to Gwen Garcia in 2010.

Liberal Party stalwarts and allies were present in the ceremony such as former Cebu City Rep. Tomas Osmeña, and wife City Councilor Margot Osmeña, and newly elected Rep. Raul del Mar.

Davide’s top concerns were health services, farmers, classrooms, vocational-technical training, and the proposed Trans-axial Highway.

He first thanked the business sector for pushing a vision of a “Mega Cebu” with coordinated planning in 18 towns and cities. He said this was “very enlightening”.

HOSPITALS

On health, he said district hospitals must be improved to serve the poor and vowed to review policies of hiring personnel. At present, doctors and nurses are hired through a manpower agency, an outsourcing scheme of the Garcia administration that was criticized as ineffective in Davide’s campaign.

Wider public consultation was promised by Davide, who said he would invite project proposals from the towns and barangays as capable “partners”.

He said he would “reach out to cooperatives, trade groups, youth, women, persons with disabilities, the elderly and NGOS.”

To address the lack of classrooms, he invoked help from Malacañang.

“President Noynoy Aquino has been very supportive. We will ask the national government to provide us with more classroom and facilities,” he said.

The new governor also said his administartion would partner with industry and the national government for a vigorous vocational-techncial training program.

To address hunger and poverty, Davide said he would “empower farmers” by revitalizing the Farmer-Scientist Training Program, improve farm-to-market roads and set up trading centers to link producers and consumers.

(This program championed by his uncle Dr. Romulo Davide, a Ramon Magsaysay awardee, was discontinued in the previous administartion.)

For tourism, Davide said he would  develop “community-based tourism programs designed to promote a specific locality.” However, he did not mention the Suroy-Suroy tourism caravans which used to be led by Governor Garcia.

Keeping to his pro-environment stance, Davide said the province would protect the watershed, forests and marine sanctuaries as “treasures” to be held for present and future generations.

“There shall be a sustainable, prudent and responsible use of our natural resources,” he said.

To respond to climate change, he said they will mount an “effective” disaster preparedness pogram from the neighborhood to the provincial level.

“We will foster awareness of and resilience to climate change,” he said.

TRANS-AXIAL HIGHWAY

The Trans-axial Highway, a multi-million-peso project of the late vice governor Gregorio Sanchez Jr. that was mothballed by the Garcia administartion, will be a priority as well.

Davide said the highway was needed to connect both ends of the island, open up neglected rural areas to economic development and ease urban congestion. He gave no timeframe for its completion.

He appealed for Cebuanos’ to support his development plans, saying success doesn’t depend alone on elected officials.

“Whether these will happen next year, the year after next, five years from today, depends on all of us,”  he said.

“Our cause for genuine change and good governance cannot come to fruition  without your support. The task ahead is a big challenge for all of us. It demands much from us. In dreams begin responsibilities,” he said.

“We will define where the Cebuanos will work, and we will make this ideal for work. We will define where the Cebuano will play, and we will make this ideal for play. We will define where Cebuano may raise his family in peace, and we will make this idea for his home,” he said.

ALMENDRAS

As Cebu province officials were sworn in, Secretary Roxas called Cebuano Cabinet member Jose Rene Almendras to stand with him on stage.

Almendras later joined other family members when it was the turn of Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale, his eldest sister, to take her oath.

Also present during the oath taking ceremony were Davide’s father and former Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr., uncle Dr. Romulo Davide and the governor’s family.

Other Liberal party allies were newly elected Rep. Rodrigo Abellanosa of Cebu City’s south district,  2nd district Rep. Wilfredo Caminero and newly elected Rep. Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas of Alayon.

Four PB members, eight mayors, and a congressman affiliated with One Cebu, the political party of Garcia were also there.

The four PB members were Alex Binghay, Sun Shimura, Joven Mondigo, and Julian Daan.

The other provincial legislators who took their oath yesterday were Raul Alcoseba, Peter John Calderon, Christopher Baricuatro, Gricelda Zaballero, Jude Sybico, Antonio Magpale, Thadeo Ouano, and Arleigh Sitoy.

The event began with a Mass celebrated by Fr. Bernardo Oyao.  Lunch was served after.

The mayors present were Nicepuro Apura of carcar City, Valdemar Chiong of Naga City, Cynthia Moreno of Aloguinsan, Lani Pena of Minglanilla, Lionel Bacaltos of Sibonga, Nic delos Santos of Alcoy, Ronald Cesante of Dalaguete, of Inocentes Cabaron of Moalboal, Siegfred Duterte of Tabogon, Nito Durano of Danao City, Paz Radaza of Lapu-Lapu City, Bernard Supulveda of Borbon, and Augusto Corro of Daanbantayan. /Ador Vincent S. Mayol, Reporter with Eileen G. Mangubat