SABANGAN, Mountain Province – Former Mayor Jupiter C. Dominguez underscored that there should be a balance in the implementation of both human and physical infrastructure by concerned government agencies and local governments and ensure equitable distribution of development opportunities not only in the urban centers but also in rural areas where development is much needed by the people.
Physical infrastructure refers to roads, bridges, schools and training centers, hospitals and clinics which are generally implemented by public and private sectors while human infrastructure refers to providing people with added skills and knowledge, through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), K-12 education, Alternative Learning System (ALS), the Department of Education for basic education and Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for tertiary education through state universities and colleges, such as the State-run Mountain Province State Polytechnic College (MPSPC).
Dominguez, who is aspiring for the province’s lone congressional post, pointed out that a third aspect of development that will make economy and good quality of life attainable is digital infrastructure which is necessary for connectivity in all aspects of communication for speedy conduct of transactions in both private and government sectors.
On the other hand, infrastructure such as physical facilities and installations needed by a community to function, such as transportation and communications systems, water and power lines and public institutions including schools, hospitals among others while suprastructure refers to knowledge and skills or human capital resulting from spending on education, training, science and technology and research and development.
According to him, the problem with how infrastructure development in the province was managed was it was too concentrated to physical infrastructure thereby leaving human and digital infrastructures behind that is why there is a very significant difference in the state of infrastructure developments in the different parts of the province.
The former local chief executive asserted the need for comprehensive planning to ascertain the needs of the people of the province so that concerned government agencies and local governments are guided in prioritising projects so as not to leave the other sectors behind in terms of the pace of development.
Initially, Dominguez got in touch with Globe Telecom vice president Arlene Mendoza to present the current problems of connectivity in most parts of the province and subsequently encouraged the telecommunications company to invest in improving the connectivity in the different parts of the province to help spur overall growth and development in the countryside.
The poor connectivity in most parts of Mountain Province had been a pressing problem of the communities but this has not been given appropriate action by current leaders of the province despite repeated attempts to do so in the past, thus, the need for the putting in place of a strong lobby to compel the companies to invest in improving the connectivity in the province.
