BAUKO, Mountain Province – Mayor Abraham B. Akilit embarked on a 13-point development agenda that will significantly contribute in uplifting the state of the municipality and improving the living condition of the people in the town’s 22 barangays.
One of the local chief executive’s major agenda is values transformation and development that will focus on the sustained advocacies for the promotion of value transformation at all levels, the home, the Church and the cross section of society.
Akilit added that his administration will also sustain his flagship program on environmental consciousness, development and conservation that will be anchored on a massive information education campaign on the prospects of environment, promotion of massive reforestation in all denuded forests within the community through agro-forestry among others.
In terms of food production, the municipal mayor said the maximization on the utilization of agriculture lands for food production with the introduction of appropriate and applicable pro-environment technologies, promotion of natural farming by using organic fertilizers and pesticides to reduce cost of farm inputs and encourage agriculture, promotion of agro-forest crops in forest lands to increase areas for food production and for raw materials for rural industries among others.
He will also work out fresh water development and utilization through initiation and facilitation of the recognition of Bauko by the national leadership as watershed cradle of Northern Luzon being the headwaters of four major river systems, promotion of the importance of water, its economic prospects and also the relevance of agro-forestry in the reforestation program to enhance poverty alleviation and open up community awareness on reforestation efforts.
Health and sanitation will also be Akilit’s major platform which will be implemented through the promotion of the use of organic fertilizers by composting biodegradable waste materials, promotion of free toxic food production technology, protection of water bodies from mercury and other chemical waste pollution to avoid contamination.
According to him, better quality education will be anchored on the provision of support to the physical improvement of barangay, primary and elementary facilities such as the put up of clean toilets, provision of support on the computer literacy program among the primary and elementary pupils, provision of support to athletic programs for both in-school and out-of-school youth.
In terms of job generation and creation of employment opportunities, Akilit will work out the initiation and facilitation of the implementation of income-generating projects to source out funds to support the delivery of essential services to the community, enhancing of livelihood programs by promoting and supporting various small-scale agri-business ventures and other off-farm economic activities in coordination with other concerned agencies.
He underscored the importance of technology development and utilization through the conduct of continuing research in all aspects of development to find ways of further innovations to proper progress followed by the establishment of techno-demo stations to accelerate production.
Market access and mobility will be focused on the rehabilitation and construction of farm to market roads, tramlines, and other facilities that support agriculture and tourism.
In terms of business and financial viability, he cited that it shall be undertaken through massive information dissemination on business prospects of all available resources in the community.
Akilit argued peace and order will be part of his priority platforms which will focus on round-the-clock monitoring of the proliferation of illegal drugs and other vices, expanding intensive intelligence networking to look on drug trafficking in schools.
He cited participatory rural development will be the primary focus of his administration which will be anchored on good governance spearheading the strict observance of various cultures that mitigate graft and corruption, mobilization of support from different line agencies and non-government organizations for the delivery of essential services to the community.
By Dexter A. See