REPRESENTATIVE Maria Vanessa “Vanvan” Cadorna Aumentado has, this early, lined up her legislative agenda and promised to continue what have been started by her husband Governor Aris Aumentado, from health, social services to livelihood, education and infrastructure needs of her constituents.
She told media interview yesterday (July 2, 2022) that she is eyeing to improve the provincial-run Francisco Dagohoy hospital in Inabanga town by increasing the number of bedroom capacity to 100.
This complements the plan of her fellow Congresswoman Kristine Alexie B. Tutor (3rd district) in making the provincial-managed hospitals in Carmen, Jagna and in her hometown Candijay to be run by the Department of Health.
But Tutor failed to secure the needed support from the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.
Reelected Provincial Board Member Dr. Elpidio Bonita, who is closely allied with former governor Yap, said that Tutor did not inform nor ask permission in filing the bill for the DOH run hospitals in said towns.
Dr. Yul Lopez, acting PHO head during the reign of Yap, oppose to Tutor’s move but the Candijay doctor favored it.
Vanvan, as she s fondly called, said she supported Tutor’s bill for re-nationalization of these hospitals and confident for SP’s support.
She said she’s also considering upgrading the salaries of medical personnel, especially doctors, to apparently avoid continued brain drain.
One notable legislative she’s eyeing and had proposed is the establishment of Lung center in Central Visayas, so those who may avail of its services may no longer go to Manila.
She explained that congressman and congresswoman’s fund via national agencies, like Department of Social Welfare and Development, is limited.
On infrastructure, Vanvan said that thru participation and consultation, the people re the ones who decide what are their priorities. And most of these are the covered court that may be all-purpose building especially in times of calamities.
Her husband, Aris, had already prepared most of these infrastructure projects and she intends to finish them. These include the farm-to-market roads, seawall and Ubay airport, which may be used as alternative airstrip as Cebu is already congested.
For job generation, she said, the second district economic zone bill already approved by the House of Representatives but stalled at the Senate need to be refiled and she’s eyeing to do it. She pins hope it would be tackled by the incoming Senate, believed to be headed by Senator Migz Zubiri of Bukidnon province.
On tourism, Vanvan bats for “not the usual,” referring to day tour and tourism circuit, such as Tagbilaran City to Panglao to Carmen, where the Choco Hills are located.
She’s eyeing to create the “less-travelled road” in tourism and for this, she considers Ubay town for agri-tourism or farm tourism. Ubay is where the Bohol Stock Farm and dairy production are located.
Then governor Erico Aumentado, father of Aris, has put in place major infra in bridges, circumferential road, the power supply from Leyte and irrigation dams and agriculture facilities.
But not only this, other towns that may have potential for farm tourism will be encouraged.
She said she will call all municipal mayors in the district to develop their own agri-tourism come-on that are more attractive. She said there’s a need to make tourists stay longer.
According to DOT that the world standard of a tourist or considered as such is for a tourist to stay at least a night.
The Buenavista town’s oyster culture, the river rowing or paddling in Inabanga may be considered as tourist come-on.
The untapped tourist attractions In the second district included the over a thousand hectares of man-made mangrove plantation, said to be the biggest in Asia, the development and research of sea horse and the hopping on islands, where white sand and sea food are abound, all in Getafe town.
The district boasts of its rare undersea formation in Double Barrier reefs, one of only four in entire world and scuba dive sites, where sea cow, locally known as “Dugong,” habitat is found.
Waterfalls and rivers, rice farms and mountain ranges ideal for nature sports and for hiking, biking and sight-see are plentiful. (rvo)
