The year 2020 was, to say the least, an unforgettable year. It was an unprecedented moment in time when the mettle of Boholanos was tested to the fullest when we were forced to fight a battle with an enemy that we could not even see – the COVID-19 Virus.
But in the spirit of Dagohoy, the whole province never backed down. Amidst all the challenges brought by the pandemic, throughout our hectic schedules, round-the-clock tasks and critical institutional measures to address the COVID-19 pandemic, we never wavered from our mandates and responsibilities.
Thus, it is with pride and honor that I present this Provincial Annual Report for CY 2020, a recording of our collective efforts towards the fulfillment of our aspirations as a province.
The three sectoral pillars that we had identified at the onset of our administration were the guiding principles of our leadership in the prioritization of responses and development actions, especially in these trying times. Pag-atiman sa mga Makalolooy ug Kabus, Pagpukaw sa Kultura, ug Pagpalambo sa Industriyang Turismo ug Lokal nga Ekonomiya gave us a more strategic focus in our efforts to each the deepest recesses of the Boholano community as they grappled with the effects of this continuing threat to their lives, their livelihoods, and the survival of our overall Boholano community.
Early on in the pandemic, the Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) was one of the very first provinces to craft its own economic recovery program: the “We Survive as One Bohol“ Program. The pan enabled the convergence of multiple agencies’ initiatives to combat the effects of the pandemic. Its comprehensiveness ensures that all sectors of the community are being attended to, and their concerns are addressed, with all the available resources that the government has in its arsenal. Just as the pandemic has disturbed the social, economic, and health conditions of our community, the plan is designed to be flexible to evolve based on our current needs.
The programs and projects initiated by the local government units (barangay, municipal/city and provincial), national government agencies, and civil society organizations are included in this Annual Report. This Report follows the format prescribed by the Department of Interior and Local Government, and further organized according to the sectoral classification of the National Economic Development Authority, as follows: Economic Development, Social Development, Development Administration, Environmental Management, and Infrastructure Development.
Even as we face an uncertain future, even as the Province continues to face the many aspects of the fall-out of the COVID-19 pandemic, our leadership, with full support of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan through legislation, will push forward with our development plan for 2021, giving top priority to food secrity, power and water, and keeping our Boholano constituents safe and healthy, within the context of the “new normal.” We air to ensure that the greater good shall be given importance at all times. Public service is, after all, for the benefit of the greater majority.