BASIC PLATFORMS FOR DEVELOPMENT

BASIC PLATFORMS FOR DEVELOPMENT

For upland barangay Badbad Oriental, Loon, Bohol, Philippines

October 25, 2007

Basic Platform No. 1: Reinforce MAIN OCCUPATIONS through (a) skills improvement training or better knowledge technology along with (b) distribution of corresponding tools;

OBJECTIVES:

i. To increase skills and acquire corresponding better tools for increase work productivity, e.g., (a) for more produce of the farm or (b) to give better services for higher income among our wage earners.

ii. To ultimately turn subsistence farming into entrepreneurial (commercial) farming and turn employment into self-employment and then finally into profitable business enterprise. Ex. our small farmers to become suppliers of bananas and other farm products to city businessmen; our construction foremen to become (small) contractors; Model of growth, improvement and development: Oloy Mejorada, Mesphar Mejorada, Pedoy, etc.

PRIORITY MAIN OCCUPATIONS:

i. Farming – short term (e.g., grains, vegetables) and long-term (e.g., orchard)

ii. Carpentry or construction

iii. Baking

iv. Tuba Making

v. Copra making

vi. Small business

vii. Driving

viii. Professional skills: accounting, computers

ix. Others

Those of you who belong to one or more of these sectors have already heard from me in the past talk about the ways, plans or ideas to improve your own lot or situations. Without waiting and wasting, many of you have implemented those ideas without help from government. But government is there primarily there to help finance our occupational and livelihood development, not to send us to other countries to earn dollars and pay national debts and save the nation from bankruptcy! The government of Japan and other progressive countries used their tax money primarily for agro-industrial as well as education (or skills and mental development) of its people.

Basic Platform No. 2: Make SUPPORT LIVELIHOOD reliable and into a profitable business through support activities and strategies such as the following:

1) Have our own feed mills and

2) Let our own land supply our own raw materials for feeds: yellow corn, corn, soy beans, napiers, etc; Plant our vacant unused lots with napiers for (fresh or processed) feeds

3) Feed leaves preservations (silage) to meet feed needs during hot seasons;

4) Have our own seed and animal nursery;

5) Etc.

List of priority livelihoods:

i. Livestock: chickens (poultry), goats, cows, pigs;

ii. Native products

iii. Baking

Basic Platform No. 3: Develop the talents of the mind and heart to attain happiness through the following activities and strategies:

1) Education

2) Music

3) Sports

4) Arts

5) Cultural development

Priorities activities and programs:

o Education:

§ Parents’ “bôbô” (regular contributions) for high school and college education or special training, etc. with equivalent barangay fund counterpart

§ Barangay version of “Study Now, Pay Later”

§ Partnership with local businessmen: 10% purchase refund for education

§ Orchard-supported Free High school and College campuses

§ Barangay machine shop training and OJT – Oloy’s platform

§ Barangay computer hands-on training – at present: 25 kids are now computer literate

o Music:

§ Revive old rondallas – focused on good olden music

§ Establish youth bands as counterpart – focus: good uplifting music

§ Sponsor amateur singing contests, etc.

Basic Platform No. 4: Turn from being a beggar barangay into a PROFITABLE ENTERPRISE, e.g., Badbad Oriental Inc.(BOI):

1) Claim 40% share from water revenues;

2) Mineral water business;

3) Small business lending;

4) Long-range earnings from Study Now Pay Later program;

5) Barangay orchards ventures with small land owners;

6) Barangay passenger multicabs;

7) Etc.

Fact: Almost 99% of our barangay fund is IRA from the national government, only around 1% comes from sales of the barangay copra production and vegetable garden. Besides that, there is no other source of barangay income.

Basic Platform No. 5: To achieve all our dreams, goals, plans or platforms AND ENJOY THE FRUITS, we need to have HEALTHY BODIES, SOUND WISE MIND AND HEALTHY AND HAPPY HEART.

How?

1) Decrease existing sickness and weakness especially through ORGANIC NATURAL FOODS and avoidance of chemicals;

2) PREVENT diseases especially those very costly ones such as: diabetes, cardio-vascular diseases (heart disease, high blood, etc.) cancers, STDs, AIDS, etc., which cause the loss of jobs and business, drain savings, pawn or sell properties, subject the family or children to debts and poverty, etc.

How? By

i. Avoiding vices;

ii. Eating health-giving foods and

iii. the practice of health-giving activities, such as regular exercise, proper rest, skin rubbing, mountain climbing, deep inhaling, sufficient sunshine, etc.

In the last 7 years (2000-2007), I could not push through these ideas or plans because the majority sided with the barangay captain whose priority is infrastructures. So, the following infra projects have been constructed or done: replacement of old (yet still strong) roof of the barangay hall (it could be only de-rusting (rust conversion) and patching holes, not the replacement of thin inferior GI sheets; ceiling and window grills of the barangay hall (to me, necessary); tiles of day care center’s floor and bgy hall’s floor (not necessary, a luxury); total replacement of basketball court hollow block fence (it could be reinforcement and finishing in some portions, hence, some savings); widening, grade-lowering and opening of new barangay roads (necessary); purchase of barangay typewriter (P21,000.00, to me unnecessary); purchase of so many kitchen utensils, curtains (to me, should not be the priority) in the face of increasing poverty, joblessness, college dropouts due to poverty, increase of gambling and stealing due to lack of jobs or income generating activities.

So, the majority’s focus on infrastructures has resulted to the neglect of projects and programs intended for the HUMAN WELFARE or FAMILY UPLIFTMENT, such as: increase of income, food, housing, clothing, health and education. The above-listed projects or platforms which have been discussed with many of you long before the election and throughout the years, are intended for HUMAN WELFARE or FAMILY UPLIFTMENT.

HOW CAN WE FULFILL THESE PLATFORMS?

Don’t’ look at party, choose the candidates who are pro-livelihood, pro-education, and such other platforms mentioned above;

Be sure these candidates will win the majority in the council;

It is best if you will elect the candidate for barangay captain who is committed to these platforms

Then WE WILL SEE MORE FARM INCREASE, BETTER JOBS, MORE INCOME, BETTER FOOD, BETTER CLOTHING, BETTER HOUSE, HIGHER EDUCATION, AND MORE HAPPINESS.

Next to your spiritual salvation (or going to heaven), your material welfare or emancipation from poverty and hunger is my priority.

So, give me at least 3 new kagawads who are in favor and committed to the above-mentioned and similar platforms or don’t vote me at all! Otherwise, I shall be non-performing for another 7 years! A liability to the barangay! That’s the ugliness of democracy: IF THE MAJORITY IS BAD, THEN THE RESULTS WILL BE UGLY!

Hence, the present accusation against our incumbent barangay administration: “YOU ARE LIKE THE PARENTS WHOSE CHILDREN HAVE BEEN CRYING FOR FOOD THESE 7 YEARS, BUT YOU GAVE THEM CLOTHES AND JEWELS!”

That is the TRUE definition of an IRRESPONSIVE GOVERNANCE! Local or national…