Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. Saturday called for team governance among the newly-elected officials of Negros Occidental in order to move the province forward, and reiterated his appeal for rebels to give up their armed struggle and join him in the fight against poverty.

“The elections are over, let us work hard together to make this province great again, and I am very sure we will be the greatest province in the whole country,” he said.

Marañon also outlined the gains of his Negros First agenda in his speech after being sworn in for a second term as governor at the inaugural ceremony of the Negros Occidental provincial officials in front of the Capitol building in Bacolod City Saturday afternoon.

The people have spoken, the governor said, as he thanked all those who supported and stood by him, citing the more than half a million Negrenses who gave him a fresh mandate.

Marañon, who ran under the United Negros Alliance won with 528,895 votes against Genaro Alvarez Jr. of the Love Negros team, who garnered 357,809 votes.

The governor said Negros First and its 11-point agenda, a comprehensive program for the betterment of the province and its people, that he began three years ago, has taken off, and he looks forward to the next three years to heighten its gains.

But he stressed that governance is not the work of the governor alone.

“It is a collaborative effort, it is team play. It is getting people of proven integrity, intelligence and competence to get together to achieve a common goal,” he said.

“Team governance is to keep Negros First on tract in pursuance of its objectives,” he said.

CATCHING UP NEEDED

The governor reminded the newly-elected officials, their co-workers in government and Negrenses that they have a catching up to do.

“We must keep our best performing province stature on a permanent stand. Let us rally together, join hands in charting a clear roadmap towards developing the full potential of the Negros Occidental economy,” he said.

A report of the gains of his 11-point Negros First agenda was distributed to the crowd at the oath-taking rites, the governor said, so that his inaugural speech would not be too long.

“I would like you to take home this report and remind me whenever you think I am not taking the right road towards it,” he said.

A PERMANENT HEALTH PROGRAM

Marañon said the provincial government has attended to about 42,000 underprivileged Negrenses by giving them free comprehensive insurance.

“We will make this Negros Occidental Comprehensive Health Program permanent so that whoever will sit as governor will continue the program,” he said.

Marañon also vowed to continue the province’s agricultural initiative, noting that Negros Occidental received the highest national award in 2012 for rice production. The province will be self-sufficient in rice production by the end of the year because of an irrigation highway initiative started by former Governors Joseph Marañon and Isidro Zayco, he said.

“It is very pathetic, and the height of stupidity that our farmers are still living below the poverty line when we have rich soil, good climate and abundant water,” he said. It is just a matter of providing government support to the farmers, the governor pointed out.

To the sugar farmers who are afraid of 2015 when tariffs on imported sugar will be lifted, Marañon said, “We must make the sugar industry more efficient so that we can compete in the world market.”

At the same time, he stressed that there is more to just sugar for Negros.

‘AIMLESS STRUGGLE’

The governor also again called on “our brothers and sisters, who are still up there in the mountains who are suffering from hunger, disease and degradation… (to) put an end to aimless struggle and division.”

“Let us channel our energies to work together to fight poverty and not to fight each other,” he said.

He also stressed the need to be constantly aware “that we cannot attain our objectives without the guiding hand of God. If this endeavor is according to His will, we can be assured of its success.”

A concelebrated mass led by Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra was held before the oath-taking rites.

OATH-TAKINGS

Marañon took his oath before Cadiz Regional Trial Court Judge Renato Muñez, while Vice Governor-elect Eugenio Jose Lacson took his before Negros Occidental RTC Executive Judge Anita Chua.

The 12 board members of the province, Renato Gustilo and Rolando Ponsica of the first district, Salvador Escalante and Miller Serondo - second district, Patrick Lacson and Johnna Ko - third district, Jose Benito Alonso and Victor Javellana - fourth district, Renato Malabor and Alain Gatuslao - fifth district, and Pedro Zayco and Helen Zafra - sixth district, were sworn in by Chua.

Lacson and the eight Love Negros board members wore pins with hearts on them at the inaugural rites.

ONLY 3 SOLONS

Only three of the six Negros Occidental congressmen were present.

They were Marañon allies Rep. Leo Rafael Cueva (2nd District), Jeffrey Ferrer (4th District) and Alejandro Mirasol (5th District).

Not present were Love Negros congressmen Julio Ledesma IV (1st District), Alfredo Abelardo Benitez (3rd District), and Mercedes Alvarez (6th District).

But mayors from both the UNA and Love Negros were present, along with businessmen, sugar leaders, members of civic clubs, farmers, fishermen, indigenous people and government workers.*CPG

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