Page 27 - OGA 2017

Outstanding Governorship
Outstanding Governorship Award 2017Award 2017

She also prioritized youth involvement in local governance: through In 2015, Marcos organized the Metro Ilocos Norte Council, urging
flagship program Sirib Express, Marcos gave Ilocano youth a new voice tricycles and jeeps to share terminals and routes for a more organized
in the community. Sirib Express soon evolved into the Sirib Youth Office, transport sector. She subsidized the Night Express to provide public
an official Capitol department, and was more recently renamed the transportation after 8:00pm and provide safe passage for students and
Ilocos Norte Youth Development Office (INYDO), inspiring the creation of workers in latter hours. The province now also sells gasoline and tires at
city and municipal counterparts throughout the province. Today, youth deeply discounted prices, operates parking lots and terminals, and will
leaders alongside the governor are taking on issues like mental health, soon be launching a trade-in program of substandard tricycles for electric
delinquency, drug abuse, and teenage pregnancy. ones. Last March, Marcos was happy to note that no one in Ilocos Norte
Reaching out to the grassroots and the far-flung barangays of Ilocos joined the nationwide transport strikes.
Norte, Marcos launched the Capitol Express outreach program in 2013 She also made it a point to safeguard peace and order, transforming
as a roving one-stop shop bringing the Provincial Government's services Ilocandia from a land known for warlords, private armies, and random
to where the people are. Various forms of assistance, from agricultural violence to one of the peaceful areas in the country through a strengthened
implements and supplies to medicines and free consultation, are given partnership with the Philippine National Police (PNP).
to residents. Needed assistance is decided upon after pulong-pulong or Under her watch, the Provincial Government grew business-friendly
consultation sessions with barangay captains to know the needs of each with fair and predictable regulation as its goal and inviting business owners
barangay or community. through investment and tax incentives. The Provincial Government began
Transparency being another point of her governance, Marcos also sharing training costs, technical and vocational upgrades, and hiring efforts
instigated an "Open Capitol" image, not only through tearing down the walls for the benefit of both stakeholders and constituents. She sees her job as
and recalibrating the Capitol's image into that of a park for citizens to freely governor to support the private sector and thus end jobless growth. Meanwhile
come and go, but also inviting in guests, including schoolchildren, into the the agriculture sector remains a priority as she partnered with the City
very offices of the Provincial Government on every Charter Day, fixing eyes Government of Quezon, Metro Manila, to bring local produce and products in
on the Capitol and compelling employees and officials to provide quality a regular Producer-to-Consumer Bazaar, giving Ilocano farmers an opportunity
public service. to earn more income by selling at full retail prices instead of cartel rates.

25