PIA Aklan Balita (April 16 - 30, 2022)

Volume 20

KALIBO, Aklan (PIA) -One of the major activities of the province of Aklan, as it celebrated its 66th anniversary as a separate province from Capiz this year, was the awarding of the 2021 Most Outstanding Taxpayers and Outstanding Municipal Treasurer’s Office in Aklan.

The awarding was held at the lobby of the Provincial Capitol Building on April 26, 2022, led by Governor Florencio T. Miraflores, who himself was one of those awarded as Outstanding Real property Taxpayers.

In his message posted on social media, he thanked the Aklanon taxpayers and stakeholders in paying their correct taxes on time.

“Raya ro atong ginagamit para mapadayon rong kaumwaran it atong pinalanggang probinsya (This is what we use to sustain the progress of our beloved province)," Miraflores said.

Awarded as Outstanding Real Property Taxpayers were Rural Bank of Altavas, (Aklan) Inc. for the municipality of Altavas; Teodoro V. Cal-

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izo, Jr.- Balete; Aklan First District Representative Carlito S. Marquez - Banga; Mario M. Roxas - Batan; Dr. Rosendo Sualog - Buruanga; Governor Florencio T. Miraflores - Ibajay; RI-RANCE Corporation (UNITOP) - Kalibo; Percival M. Selorio Lezo; Hernanie Villaruel Libacao; Corazon I. Nagtalon - Madalag; WILCON Depot, Inc. - Makato; Global Estate Resort, Inc. - Malay; Petrowind Energy Inc. - Nabas; Panay Power Corp. - New Washington; TOYOTA Aklan, Inc. - Numancia; and Aristotle C. Tirol for Tangalan town.

Three Municipal Treasurer’s Office (MTO) were also awarded, namely, Malay town led by Municipal Treasurer Dediosa C. Dioso ranking first; Kalibo, under Rey C. Villaruel, second; and Ibajay, under Glenn D. Tumbagahan, third place.

The province also recognized the Revenue Generation Task Force led by the Philippine National Police (PNP) under Police Chief Master Sergeant Armand I. Ibea.

Continued on page… 03

File Photo of Malay Biniray 2019 in Boracay Island. Malay Biniray is one of the highlight activities of Love Boracay. In this year's Love Boracay, Malay Biniray is scheduled on May 1, 2022 at the Front Beach, Station 3. (SQP/PIA-Aklan/ Photo Courtesy of Malay Municipal Tourism Office)

April 16 - 30, 2022

Governor Florencio T. Miraflores (center) of the province of Aklan receives his Certificate as one of Aklan's Outstanding Real Property Taxpayers during the recent awardig program for the province's Most Outstanding Taxpayers & Outstanding Municipal Treasurer's Office at the Provincial Capitol Lobby.

The awarding was one of the highlights of Aklan's celebration of its 66th anniversary. With Gov. Miiraflores in the picture are Bernardino Villaruel (left), Aklan Provincial Treasurer; and (right) Vice Governor Reynaldo M. Quimpo.

(Photo courtesy of Provincial Capitol Information Office)

KALIBO, Aklan (PIA) -- A three-day event that calls for sustainable and responsible tourism dubbed as “Love Boracay 2022 Better than Ever” is being held in Boracay Island in Malay, Aklan from April 29 to May 1, 2022.

Love Boracay, which started in 2019, was curated through the cooperation of the Boracay Interagency Task Force and Boracay stakeholders as an alternative to LaBoracay, which is associated with nonstop beach parties.

In a media interview, Malay Tourism Officer Felix Gregorio Delos Santos said

that “Love Boracay” is a series of environment activities in the island that centers on the sustainability concept to balance the growth of tourism and the preservation of the beauty of the Island.

“Love Boracay is more on environmental awareness and the concept niya is more on, kung may influx of tourists, more on responsible tourists," Delos Santos added.

The three-day Laboracay 2022 has kicked-off on April 29 with activities such as Pinta Layag Festival at the front beach from station 1, 2 and 3; Food Crawl; Continued on page… 03

PIA AKLAN BALITA

Ronnie Icamina of Camanci Sur, Numancia, Aklan was so excited and happy to receive his family’s land title after long, long years of waiting, that he showed up very early at the ABL Sports and Cultural Center, Kalibo, Aklan, last Sunday, April 10, hoping to be the first in the list of recipients during the Integrated Sustainable Assistance Recovery and Advancement Program (ISARAP) Convergence Service Caravan.

His effort paid off because during the ceremonial distribution of land titles, he was one of the five chosen recipients to come up the stage, out of the 105 land title beneficiaries identified by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

“Nalipay gid ako sa pagkabaton ku among titulo ay kabuhay eon namon ra nga ginahueat. Na proseso ro among titulo it DENR nga owa it gastos ag mabahoe gid ang p ag p a s a e a m a t s a gobyerno sa nabaton namon ngara ku akong mga igmanghud (I am very happy to receive the land title because we have waited for this for so long. This was processed by the DENR without any expense on our part and I am very thankful to our government for this land title for me and my siblings)," Icamina said.

The title was named to the Heirs of Florencia R. Icamina, their long-deceased mother, and he received the title as his family’s representative.

Another happy, smiling Aklanon on that day was Johnny Damian, the president of Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association (TODA) of Brgy. Mobo, Kalibo, Aklan, and also the president of Federation of Kalibo Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association, Inc. (FOKTODAI), who received P30,000 as one of the

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10 ISARAP Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Pangkabuhayan recipients.

He said the amount, which will be used for a livelihood venture of his group of tricycle drivers in Kalibo, will be a big help to them.

Nalipay gid kami sa bulig ngara kamon it gobyerno (We are very happy to receive this help from the government)," Damian said.

Other happy and thankful faces during the conduct of the ISARAP event in Aklan, which was the third leg in Western Visayas after Negros Occidental and Iloilo, were the 100 Diploma scholars under the scholarship program of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) – Aklan.

According to Sr. TESD Specialist Mark Anthony Dolinog, these scholars are currently enrolled at two Aklan schools – Aklan Catholic College (ACC), which accommodated 50 scholars; and St. Gabrielle College with 50 scholars.

That day, these scholars, who came in their uniform, received their allowances.

Another happy group that stood out during the ISARAP activity because of their big number were the beneficiaries identified by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). All 561 of them, from the towns of Numancia and Banga, received P5,000.00 each from the agency.

Ac c or ding to Lu lita Villanueva, Division Chief of DSWD 6 Protective Services Division, the recipients were Typhoon Odette victims.

Other Aklanons made happy on that day were recipients of assistance from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) who were Ka-

Ronnie Icamina (3rd from left) proudly shows his Certificate of Land Title as one of the recipients of the Handog Titulo Program of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). He received the land title during the Integrated Sustainable Assistance Recovery and Advancement Program (ISARAP) Convergence Caravan held recently at the ABL Sports and Cultural Center in Kalibo, Aklan.

libo Public Market fire victims; cooperative officers and members aided by the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA); Aklan fishermen through the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR); coconut farmers through the Philippine Coconut Authority ( P C A ); Tech4ED schools through the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) and the Tulong Panghanapbuhay Sa Ating D is adv an tag e d/ D i sp lac ed Workers (TUPAD) through the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

Other government agencies present during the activity were the Department of Health (DOH), Department of Education (DepEd); Department of Agriculture (DA); Department of Public Works and

Highways (DPWH); Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG); Land Transportation Office (LTO); Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB); and the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), which converged with Aklanons to make them feel that the government is doing everything for their greater good.

As what CDA chairman Joseph B. Encabo said in his message to the Aklanons as guest speaker – “the convergence of various government agencies in the ISARAP Caravan ensures that up to its last day, the current administration of the government will deliver the services and programs needed by the people.” (JBG/VGV/PIA6 Aklan)

PIA AKLAN BALITA

Aklanons avail…

From page 01 The province’s top 3 Best Performing Municipal Focal Persons of Electronic Statement of Receipts and Expenditures (eSRE), who were also honored during the activity, were Charl Mandee D. Oquendo of Buruanga who ranked 1st; Media C. Selorio of Lezo, 2nd; and Wilma C. Reyes of Kalibo, 3rd.

Special awards were also given to municipalities in terms of highest collection on real property tax, business tax, fees and other charges, and economic enterprise.

In these areas, Kalibo and Malay dominated the 1st and second ranking alternately, while Nabas, Numancia, Batan and Altavas shared the third rank in real property, business tax, fees and other

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charges and economic enterprise, respectively.

Meanwhile, cited as most efficient in collection were Kalibo for ranking first on real property tax; Batan, for business tax and fees and other charges; and Malay for Economic Enterprise.

Malay, Lezo, Balete and Buruanga ranked second in terms of collection efficiency for the same taxes, respectively; while Ibajay, Makato, Buruanga and Malinao ranked third.

The awarding for Aklan's 2021 Most Outstanding Taxpayers on April 26 was the last activity held by the province in celebrating its 66th birth anniversary, as it officially became a separate province from Capiz on April 25, 1956. (JBG/VGV/PIA6 Aklan)

Aklanons avail…

From page 01 Scubasurero and beach cleanup; and Summer Music Night at Bolabog. The aforesaid activities are being conducted until May 1.

Also on April 29, is a oneday activity in Bolabog, which are the Unisikad kick-off event, Boracay rehabilitation photo and Unisikad bike exhibit, festival of lights and Smart Tiktok challenge.

On April 30, there will be a Land Transportation Office Theoretical Driving Course in Tambisaan Covered Court; DENR and IP Interface at Wetland 2 Conservation Park; and Sustainability Talks at Farm Juan at Oceans Conservation in Bolabog. A two-day Music and Arts Festival will be at the Kashbar and Boracay New Coast from April 30 to May 1.

The Love Boracay 2022 will be concluded with a Zumba by the Beach at

D’Mall Beach; Malay Biniray at Station 3; and awarding and recognition night at Bolabog on May 1.

Meanwhile, the Department of the Interior and Local Government has reminded the Local Government of Malay for the strict implementation of the required carrying capacity of Boracay Island.

“Nakipagstorya naman kita sa DILG and nagcreate naman sang technical working group to secure and monitor the incoming of our tourists,” Delos Santos said in a media interview, ensuring that the carrying capacity will not be breached again as what was reported during the Holy Week break.

Based on the record of the Malay Tourism Office, tourist arrivals in Boracay Island from April 1 to 16, 2022 were 95,646, of which 92,100 were domestic tourists, 2,333 were foreign tourists; and 1,213 were OFWs. (AAL/SQP/PIAAklan)