BOHOL Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado, whose Administration institutionalized an office for governance, accountability and review, rallied for local government officials to follow the former president’s example to provide the light for the youth’s path and lead them to realize their being hopes for the society.
President Carlos P Garcia (CPG) bowed out of public service unstained with corruption, which according to the governor was a final feather on his glorious cap.
“He lived and died a poor man. And he anchored this on his love for humanity and deep faith in God,” he pointed out, as he occasionally wiped sweat from his brows during the event which also featured the handling out of post humous awards to past Bohol governors who also stood as giant beacons in Bohol’s journey across the years.
Speaking before a modest crowd of Boholanos and local officials gathered at the new Capitol lobby for the 126th CPG Day celebration, the young governor whose administration slogan is Abante Bohol picked on the event theme: “CPG: Iwag sa Kabatan-onan, Paglaum sa Katilingban.”
“… kita nga misilbi karon sa atong katawhan isip mga opisyal ug empleyado sa atong lalawigan, dakbayan o kalungsoran, angay usab nga mosunod sa mga ehemplo ni kanhi presidente Carlos P. Garcia.” he said, perched on the stair case which was creatively converted into a raised stage for the simple commemorative program.
“Sa ingon niana mahimong daghan ang iwag sa atong mga kabatan-onan. Sa ingon niana mahimong lamdag ang ilang agia-anan. Sa ingon niana mahimo silang tinuod nga paglaum sa atong katilingban,” the governor, in his barong tagalog exhorted.
Aumentado, who said the theme has a personal meaning to him, recalled that in his inaugural address, he also paid tribute both to the late Pres. Garcia.
CPG along with his father, whom CPG groomed to emerge among Bohol’s most prolific leaders, gave birth to the young governor’s passion and commitment to serve our fellow Boholanos as a public servant.
He cited CPG’s Filipino First Policy of putting the welfare of Filipinos ahead of foreigners in trade and industry, has also been an inspiration of his Bohol First policy enshrined in his Abante Bohol slogan.
And as much as CPG wanted to ensure food security in the country by establishing the International Rice Research Institute in Los Baños, Laguna, Aumentado is now into laying the engines of farm mechanization to agricultural productivity to bring the province to survive the economic difficulties now.
He also cited CPGs “Austerity Program” that put limited resources to smart and wise use, a thing which breathes life to OGAR.
You see, my father grew up idolizing Pres. Garcia. He was only 16 years old when then Vice President Carlos P. Garcia succeeded the presidency in 1957 when the beloved “Man of the Masses”, Pres. Ramon Magsaysay, died tragically in a plane crash in a mountain in Cebu.
Alang sa akong amahan, si Garcia usa ka hayag ug dakong iwag sa iyang kabatan-onan.
In that sense, he also wished the youth would see the scholar, teacher, poet, orator, lawyer, political economist, guerrilla and military leader, and public servant par excellence traits of the former president who was many things to many people. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)
