HIGHLIGHTS OF GOV. ARTHUR D. DEFENSOR, SR.
STATE OF THE PROVINCE ADDRESS

TRANSPARENCY, SERVICE COMPETENCIES AND GOOD FISCAL POSITION
* Prosecution of wrongdoers to give justice to the millions of taxpayers and to warn those who may be tempted by the lure of corruption.
- Endorsed to the Ombudsman the Commission on Audit’s report on the anomalous purchase of medicines and supplies worth P5.3 million that was made by the previous administration.
- Endorsed to the Ombudsman for its investigation COA’s findings on the contract between the previous administration and Green Core Geothermal, Inc. (GCGI) which increased the provincial government’s contracted energy from 185,000 kilowatts per hour per month to 400,000 kilowatts per hour per month.
* Strictly imposed a ZERO-COMMISSION and a NO - S.O.P. policy. Biddings are now conducted openly, and the public can witness the opening of sealed bids and listen to the deliberations of the Bids and Awards Committee.

ACCESSIBLE HEALTH FACILITIES AND SERVICES
* Released P100 million for the upgrading of the Iloilo Provincial Hospital in Pototan and the 11 district hospitals.
* Set to loan P300 million from Land Bank of the Philippines for the upgrading and expansion of catchment hospitals, namely, Iloilo Provincial Hospital in Pototan, Ramon Tabiana Memorial District Hospital in Cabatuan, Rep. Pedro G. Trono Memorial District Hospital in Guimbal and Sara District Hospital in Sara.
* Implemented the Magna Carta of Health Workers thereby granting them hazard pay, and subsistence and laundry allowances in full retroactive January 2010.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND ENHANCEMENT
* On-going reforestation activities under the provincial government’s One Million Trees Program dubbed as ART or Action for Re-greening and Transformation.
* Coastal reforestation program in Barotac Nuevo, Anilao and Banate, where there is now a noted expansion of the mangrove area.
* No non-sense campaign against illegal fishing with the Provincial Bantay Dagat Task Force apprehending hundreds of fishing boats employing environmentally destructive fishing methods.

* Joined the Governors of the Provinces of Cebu, Masbate and Negros Occidental in signing an agreement for the preservation and conservation of the Visayan Sea, known in the past to be the richest fishing ground in the world.

IMPROVED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY
* Infused additional funds to agriculture programs, which include an additional P3 million for crops production, P2 million for small-scale irrigation systems, and P1.5 million for coastal resource managements.
* Broke ground for the construction of a modern Iloilo Provincial Rice Complex in Pototan with the help of the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

QUALITY AND ACCESSIBLE EDUCATION, SOCIAL WELFARE AND RELATED SERVICES
* Strengthening of day care and supplemental feeding programs with the help of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
* Increasing the budget for “Aid to Individuals in Crisis Situation” (AICS) to P10 million to serve more clients for medical, burial and other emergency needs.
* Started the construction of the Iloilo Provincial Development Center for Women and Children (IPDCWC) in the amount of P2.7 million at the compound of the district hospital in Cabatuan. The center will provide residential care, custody and restorative services to women and children in crisis situation.
* Allocated P30 million for the renewal of the PhilHealth membership of 8,136 Barangay Health Workers, Barangay Service Point Officers, Barangay Nutrition Scholars, Day Care Workers, and the enrolment of an additional 1,754 barangay service volunteers.
* Released P3.1 million for the construction of various rural water supply projects in the last six months of 2010, and P4.3 million in the first six months of 2011 to provide potable water to the people.
* Improvement of school buildings and other education facilities all over the province by releasing a total of P14.5 million to various schools from July to December 2010, and P12.7 million from January to May 2011. Addressed the serious problem of teacher shortage by hiring 90 more, increasing the number of Provincial School Board-funded teachers from 203 to 293.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
* Provided series of skills training that will enable the unemployed to start skills-based enterprises as part of poverty reduction strategy and in the hope of improving household income.
* Strengthened the capacities of cooperatives by letting them avail of the Provincial Livelihood Fund loan assistance amounting to P2.9 million.
* Facilitated the overseas employment of 353 individuals and local employment of 132 others, who were all hired through job fairs and special recruitment activities, with the Public Employment Service Office (PESO.

BETTER INFRASTRUCTURE AND OTHER SUPPORT FACILITIES
* In the process of acquiring ten (10) dump trucks, two (2) motor graders, a fuel truck and a prime mover to be used for the repair and rehabilitation of provincial roads and eventually enhance accessibility in the whole province through better infrastructure and other support facilities.
* Continuously repairing and maintaining provincial roads and bridges, using a budget of P22.757 million.
* Signed a Memorandum of Agreement together with the Department of Public Works and Highways, Land Transportation Office, and Philippine National Police to strictly implement the law against cargo truck overloading to prevent the further deterioration of our roads and bridges.

BETTER GOVERNMENT FACILITIES
* Repaired and upgraded the 20-year old Iloilo Sports Complex, its rubberized track oval, swimming pool and the Covered Gym at the cost of P22.5 million.
* Appropriated P10.7 million for the completion of the Iloilo Rehabilitation Center in Pototan, now named Iloilo Provincial Integrated Jail following the management takeover by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology. Constructed the perimeter fence and the tower guard at the cost of P5 million, and rehabilitated the center’s water system, spending nearly P1 million, so that our inmates can enjoy potable water.
* Implemented the salary standardization benefit for employees, with the approval of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, retroactive January 1, 2010 which was not implemented by the previous administration.
* Increased the salaries of job hires effective July 1, 2011 from P231.00 per day to P344.00. Our job hires have not enjoyed any increase in their daily wage since 2002.
* Started preparing the groundwork for the restoration of the old Iloilo Provincial Capitol allocating an amount of P20 million for the first phase of this project.

LEGACIES FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE
* Asked the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Iloilo to start drafting two important legislations that we wish to leave as legacies to the Province of Iloilo – the Environment Code and the Investment Code.
* Reform and change is a commitment that accepts no excuses but only results.