GOV. Aris Aumentado assured the public that there are no ghost projects funded by the present provincial government he is leading.
This he emphasized in his 10-page single-spaced State of the Province Address (SOPA) delivered before the audience of various stakeholders, including the national agencies and municipal mayors at ceremonial hall, Capitol, Tagbilaran City on October 10, 2025.
It is said that ghost projects, like the reported projects implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways, produced corruption that caused the people poor.
The governor quoted Pope Francis that “corruption is paid by the people.” And to address the problem of corruption is thru service, the governor cited the Pope’s statement.
To prove his point in good governance from the start of his administration, Aumentado got rid of “Ivan” swindling the government coffers and illegal collection of quarry extraction tax revenue.
“Because of our anti-corruption and transparency reforms our sand and gravel fees collected since 2022 at the highest-ever level of P128 million. And it is indeed major revenue source. The municipal and barangay shares from such revenue have increased to P32 million and P42.7 million, respectively.
The Local government Code of 1991 provides for sharing scheme: 30% apiece for the province and municipality and 40% for the barangay where the quarry is situated.
One of the top priorities of the governor is the “climate-smart” agriculture apparently for food security.
The province, he said, has invested in farm-to-market roads and livelihood to ensure that food produce find their way to the public market. This is being addressed, not only thru the Provincial Commodity investment Plan, but also aid from external source, like the World Bank thru the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) in close coordination with the Department of Agriculture.
He said that WB thru PRDP has bankrolled a total of P1.3 billion worth of projects, including the two FMR and livelihood worth over P288 million and P120 million, respectively, for this year alone. This is aside from P608 million worth of FMR Desamparados, Calape-Tabuan, Antequera, the PRDP’s biggest, so far.
Also, the governor pointed out efforts in curbing the dreaded African Swine Flu (ASF), saying that Bohol achieved 100% containment of the hog disease. Recently, the province thru the efforts of the Office of the Provincial Veterinarian (OPV) and stakeholders cleared a total of 385 barangays out of 451 ASF-affected areas in Bohol as of September 2025.
The info and education campaign and preventive measures will continue, he said.
Some of the achievement in agriculture under his dispensation are the following: 90% rice sufficiency; excellence award in Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund Program for three years; 44% increase in corn production; Over a million liters of fresh milk produced from carabao and cattle to help the Milk feeding program for school kids; and promotion of responsible pet ownership thru vaccination.
Distribution of farm equipment, fertilizers, vegetable seeds, fruit tree seedlings and root crops; rehabilitation of rice processing plant in Pilar town damaged by “Odette,” Ongoing construction of rice processing plant in Ubay town; groundbreaking of plant tissue culture laboratory in Bilar and fruit plantation in Dimiao town; and inauguration of Soils and water laboratory.
The P29.9 million livelihood grant given to 96 community groups; palay buy-back and Bugas Bol-anon program sales of P5.62 million; and holding of Tabo sa Bohol and Kadiwa sa Kapitolyo, Bohol Organic festival and Sandugo Agri-Fair. (Ric Obedencio)
