Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo enjoined everybody in the provincial government to buckle down to work after they have taken their oaths of office in different venues yesterday at the Negros Oriental Convention Center in Dumaguete City.

 

Degamo claimed the events that unfolded recently in the province, “from the highly irregular act” of issuing him the writ of execution to dismiss from the service up to the issuance of the temporary restraining order status quo ante, “is proof positive that good always triumphs over evil”.

He said he believes that God has plans for each and every one of them and as governor, he said he is “here today because of destiny”.

Degamo assured the more than 321,000 Negrenses who voted for him that he will not allow and will continue to thwart or fight any further effort to unseat him, citing the words of Associate Justice Stephen Cruz, who penned the TRO, who said “to deprive or continuously deprive the people their right to be served by the person whom they voted and installed in public office.”

The governor said a lot is yet to be done. Degamo promised to continue the strides undertaken by his administration during the last five and a half years, anchored on the centerpiece program H-E-L-P or health, education and livelihood programs and projects for peace and development.

Degamo issued Executive Order 2015-10, mandating law enforcement agencies to run after all forms of illegal activities in the province.

On peace and development, Degamo reiterated his warning against persons and individuals involved in the proliferation of illegal drugs and swertres in the province.

As regional chair of the Negros Island Regional Peace and Order Council, Degamo said he will put more teeth on running after all forms of illegal activities and emphasized that he has marching orders to Senior Supt. Harris Fama, and PNP Region 18 director, Chief Supt. Conrad Capa, to stop illegal swertres and illegal drugs in Negros Oriental.

On health, Degamo said he will continue to enhance and improve the delivery of health services to Negrenses, by making the newly-opened P350 million Central Block Building fully operational before the end of this year. As of today, only the first and second floors are functional and to fully utilize the third and four floors as soon as they are fully equipped.

Degamo is proud to say Negros Oriental is the only local government unit in the region that has put up a facility of this magnitude.

It will also enhance the diagnostic capability of the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital system, for cancer detection and other serious illnesses, by acquiring diagnostic equipment such as the Magnetic Resonance Imaging or MRI, and x-ray machines, among others.

It will also fast-tract the completion of the P36 million oxygen generating plant at the NOPH to further improve patient care while generating income for the hospital.

Improvement of the basic and comprehensive emergency maternal neonatal care facilities will also be undertaken as well as enhance hospital information system, particularly the operation of the community primary hospitals located in mountain barangays by providing each facility with internet connectivity.

The conduct of medical missions in all the 557 barangays of the province will also be continued to bring medical services to the doorsteps of Negrenses.

In education, Degamo announced his total support to the K to 12 program to keep the province abreast with international standards as well as support school-based sports development programs because this is where we produce future world-class athletes, and fund three different levels of scholarship programs for the valedictorians and salutatorians, poor but deserving and for doctor of medicine.

Degamo has also lined up various livelihood programs to both skilled and unskilled workers under the provincial-based training center and the technology livelihood development center, in partnership with TESDA.

Degamo said he has aligned his program in government to the new administration and that he supports President Rodrigo Duterte’s number one priority against the proliferation of illegal drugs.*JG