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PGLU’s Executive Budget for CY 2020 works on its final phase preparatory for its enactment. The different departments and district hospitals have successfully submitted their budget proposals and were consolidated by the Local Finance Committee to finalize the Budget for CY 2020.

Consolidated budget indicates that there is a net total increase of Php31,086,527.00 in the Personal Services and Maintenance and Php 50,904,148.00 for Other Operating Expenditure. The increase in the proposed CY 2020 Budget is a result of various needs of offices to achieve their mandates, mission, and vision.

Additional Personnel for offices like the Office of the Governor Unit – Environment and Natural Resources will enable them to embrace all the implementation of their office Program, Projects and Activities (PPAs). The increase in the Maintenance and Other Operating Expenditure of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan by 20% will help the different Board Members to fully implement the programs of their different Committees.

Aside from the increases in the various departments, some offices joined forces in order to fully align their PPAs to achieve better outputs and monitoring of activities for the offices. Two of which is the merging of the office of the Provincial Population and the Provincial Health Offices, and bringing the Human Resource and Management Unit to be one with the office of the Provincial Administrator.

The Creation of the Provincial Tourism Office also strengthens the vision of the province to promote tourism alongside with the Provincial Information Office which will take over the mandate of the Media and Public Information Unit of the Office of the Governor.

With the alignment of the budget to the plans of each office, the Budget Office will serve as a link to monitor the plans of the offices in terms of financial accomplishments. The accountability of each office will be valued in terms of their utilization of their budget in connection with their physical performance or the output they will accomplish.

To position La Union as the Heart of Agri-Tourism in Northern Luzon by 2025, the budget is essential in the implementation of the different PPAs of the PGLU offices and District Hospitals.

With the 2019 Budget Performance, the province ended with an average of 94.24% utilization rate on its financial performance for Personal Services and 87.12% utilization rate for its financial performance for Maintenance and Operating Expenditures.

With the commitment to support the strategic plans of the PGLU, ensured funding through approved appropriations is included in the Local Expenditure Plan for CY 2020 for the different Strategic PPAs of the offices and hospitals were ensured. It is expected for the offices and hospitals to make these strategic PPAs as lead measures for offices to see their contribution for the vision and mission of the Province of La Union.

A proposed ordinance promoting and developing organic agriculture and biodiversity conservation has been introduced in La Union.

Proponent Board Member Jennifer C. Mosuela, who chairs the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Committee on Laws, Rules and Privileges, said the ordinance aims to expand the practice of organic farming in the province, educate stakeholders on the principles of sustainable organic farming and promote the development of organic practice.

“With the price of our main agricultural produce, rice, going down, it is about time for our farmers to take a good look at organic agriculture where the produce commands higher prices. Many of our constituents are becoming health conscious and they turn to crops and vegetables from organic farms. Moreover, it is one mode of protecting the environment as provided in Section 13 of R.A 10068 otherwise known as the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010 wherein Section 13 promotes organic agriculture and protection of the environment. The National Organic Agriculture Program of the province shall constantly devise and implement ways of producing organic fertilizers and other farms inputs needs on and off the farm while helping to alleviate problems in sorting, collecting and composting. The Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Product Standards (BAFPS) and Department of Agriculture (DA) shall conduct continuing studies, with consultations among the people and officials involved as well as People’s Organizations and Non-Government Organizations in order to advise local governments from the barangay to the provincial level on the collection and disposal of garbage and waste to provide raw materials for the production of organic fertilizers and other farm inputs,” Mosuela explained.

The proposed ordinance covers the implementation of organic agricultural programs, projects and activities including the provision and delivery of support services with focus on the farmers and other stakeholders. The scope of the proposed measure includes the search for the Most Outstanding Farmer in Organic Agriculture Award Ordinance of 2020.

Under the proposed ordinance, the Provincial Technical Committee on Organic Agriculture shall act in coordination with and assistance of the BAFPS and DA-Regional Field Units to implement activities in line with the National Organic Agricultural Program within the province.

The Provincial Government of La Union (PGLU), in its aim to strengthen its online and social media presence as a platform to inform the public of its Programs, Projects and Activities, it has officially adopted @lgulaunion as the official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages of the province and www.launion.gov.ph as its official website through SP Ordinance No. 194-2019.

Through the ordinance, a funding of Php100,000.00 annually will be appropriated from the General Fund of the province to be used for the maintenance and operations of said pages and website.

In charge of updating and posting of online content is the Office of the Provincial Governor – Media and Public Information Unit.

The passage of SP Ordinance 194-2019 is in line of with the vision to position La Union as the Heart of Agri-Tourism in Northern Luzon by 2025. The social media pages and website will provide the locals and tourists with round-the-clock access to news updates, events and projects of the PGLU.

Said ordinance is also PGLU’s active contribution to combat fake news by ensuring that official statements and announcements will only come from reliable and official pages and website.

In recognition of the vital role of the elderly in nation building, Gov. Francisco Emmanuel “Pacoy” R. Ortega III signed the institutionalization of the elderly week dubbed as “Lawas Dagiti Nataengant ti Probinsia ti La Union Act of 2019” to be celebrated every first week of October every year through Ordinance No.178-2019.

The awarding of 10 Outstanding Senior Citizens in the Province in recognition of the acts or contributions among unsung elders who have made a difference in the lives of many and have given exemplary services to their constituents from the time they became senior citizens is one of the anticipated activities of this celebration. Also the Walk for Life (Pagna Para Ti Biag), a one kilometer walk to be participated by abled and fit Senior Citizens will also be held.

Presidential Proclamation No. 470 mandates the annual celebration of “Elderly Filipino Week” or “Linggo ng Nakakatandang Filipino” every first week of October of every year.