ILOILO – Good despite the many challenges.
This was how Gov. Arthur “Toto” Defensor Jr. described his first 100 days in office.
One big challenge his administration faced was the surge in dengue cases.
Defensor declared a dengue outbreak on July 5 and 18 days after placed the province under a state of calamity.
District hospitals overflowed with dengue patients resulting to shortages in rooms and beds.
From Jan. 1 to Sept. 21, the Provincial Health Office (PHO) recorded 19,929 dengue cases with 77 deaths.
Defensor said he was thankful that dengue cases have started to dwindle.
As of Thursday last week, Oct. 10, the PHO reported a drop in dengue patients admitted in district hospitals – 180, of which only 21 were new cases, said Defensor.
“It was a good 100 days despite damo challenges,” he said.
Another test to Defensor’s leadership was the adverse effects of the Rice Tariffication Law on small farmers of Iloilo. A deluge in imported rice resulted to a drop in local rice prices.
Defensor requested a P100-million supplemental from the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to fund a loan scheme for accredited farmers’ cooperatives.
The cooperatives must use their loan to buy rice from small farmers at premium prices, said Defensor.
Then the threat of the African Swine Fever (ASF) emerged. To protect the province, Defensor issued Executive Order No. 159 temporarily banning on hogs, pork, pork products and by-products from ASF-hit areas.
According to Defensor, his first 100 days in office was instructive. Eight hours of work each day is not enough, he said, but he managed his time well.
“It’s not easy but we are doing well,” he told Panay News.
Defensor officially started his three-year term on July 1. He said good governance won’t be enough; his administration would also focus on social justice.
Ensuring the efficient delivery basic social services is a given, he said, but “those who have less in life should have more in law, and more in the administration of the province of Iloilo.”
Defensor, a lawyer, succeed his father and namesake, Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr.
One way of delivering social justice, he said, is achieving food security in the province and creating an environment conducive to the growth of businesses and other economic activities that create employment for the Ilonggos.
“We want to create opportunities for our people not only to survive but to live good, comfortable lives,” added Defensor.
Achieving social justice, however, would be difficult without everyone’s support, he said, thus he appealed for everybody’s cooperation.
“I cannot do it alone. The administration of social justice needs more than just me. It needs us all,” he stressed./PN
