Page 49 - OGA 2017

Outstanding Governorship Award 2017

The task of facilitating the recovery of the province from the in the province. These solutions include the following: the construction
devastation brought about by the 2015 flashflood incident gave rise to of protective structures such as gabions and dikes in critical areas;
challenges particularly in the area of infrastructure. In particular, the the establishment of multipurpose evacuation centers in flood-prone
waterways in the upland town of Gabaldon were blocked by tons of debris barangays; implementation of capacity-building measures for disaster
from the Sierra Madre mountains thus putting the residents in greater peril personnel; the conduct of awareness-raising and community-based disaster
of flooding and erosion. Concerned about the situation, the Governor acted preparedness trainings and campaigns; and the institutionalization of a
with urgency. She personally visiting affected communities and directed unified protocol for disaster operations.
the prepositioning of the province’s heavy equipment in critical areas to In the field of agriculture, Governor Cherry has made sure the
respond swiftly to requests for clearing operations. continous provision of institutional support to the province’s agricultural
Governor Cherry has since requested for targetted assistance from sector thus sustaining Nueva Ecija’s stature as the foremost rice and
concerned national government agencies in clearing the waterways onion producing province in the country. Such support consists of well-
of Gabaldon. She has also called for the conduct of a more detailed placed agricultural programs aimed at enhancing productivity through
geomorphic study of the affected areas to better understand this technological transfer and other assistive interventions for local farmers.
phenomenon aggravated by climate change. Meanwhile, she continues to This goes in tandem with the provincial government’s sustained efforts
prioritize the dredging and rehabilitation of the affected waterway channels to propagate proven farming technologies and provide market integration
while exploring for the possible relocation of the residents in affected and post-harvest support to local farmers.
barangays and introducing the project on Green Charcoal Technology to The Governor has also prioritized the acquisition of additional farm
assist in the rehabilitation of the Dumagat indigenous communities which tractors to enhance the implementation of the highly successful Ani ng
were greatly impacted by the floodings. Masaganang Uhay (AMU) program. Since its inception, the AMU has
In a coordinative meeting convened by the Governor, the Provincial provided low-interest microfinance assistance with corresponding farm
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, the Provincial Planning and mechanization support to small farmholders, thus significantly reducing
Development Office, and the Provincial Development Council harmonized their dependence on usurious loans thereby increasing their income.
and consolidated priority projects for the enusing years. Included is the Apart from ensuring that resources are prioritized for more Farm-to-
setting up of a P130 Million fund for various disaster management and Market Roads (FMR), Governor Cherry has also been pushing to take full
climate-change adaptability related projects in the province. advantage of the beneficial projects pipelined under the DA’s Philippine
Governor Cherry’s disaster management framework melds structural Rural Development Program (PRDP) by satisfactorily complying with
and non-structural solutions to mitigate the efffects of climate change procurement and implementation standards.

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