163. MY P.G.I. JOURNEY
The date September 16, 2015 was my first day in office in the Provincial
Government of Isabela (PGI) after I resigned my elective post as Sangguniang
Bayan Member of Cabatuan, Isabela serving for four terms (1998-2001, 2007-2010,
2010-2013 & 2013-2015). My first assignment was Provincial Planning and
Development Coordinator (PPDC) and after a couple of weeks, I was appointed as
Assistant Provincial Planning and Development Coordinator to give way for a
senior retirable official who has been in the Capitol since 1978. On August 19
the following year, after 11 months and five days, I was designated as
OIC-PPDC. After almost a year, on June 19, I was assigned as Provincial Tourism
Officer. Today, after 2,646 days in the PGI, I received a chat message coming from
the Department of Tourism Regional Office in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan that they
received the Department Order of my appointment as Regional Director.
Congratulatory messages flooded my Facebook, messenger and text. As I retire
for the night, I looked up the dark but starry night sky and streams of
memories flashed back around my pate.
I started narrating one by one my public service activities and accomplishments
in the PGI for the past seven years. At the PPDO, we started with the basics -
attendance and punctuality; commenced and ended the day with a prayer for us to
be guided by the Lord Almighty; represented the Governor in the Regional
Development Council (RDC) committee meetings at NEDA RO2; led the drafting of
the Provincial Development and Physical Framework Plan (2016-2022) and assisted
in the formulation of a number of other plans; served as the Head Secretariat
(2016 & 2017) of the Bambanti Festival and the Isabela Day Celebrations;
and helped prepare the documents for the Philippine Chamber of Commerce &
Industry (PCCI) - Most Business-Friendly Local Government Unit Award (MBFLGUA).
I also supervised the tourism office for a short period when the head of the
Isabela Coastal Development and Tourism Office resigned to run for mayor in his
hometown.
The highlight of my PPDO stint was on October 12, 2016, when Isabela was
awarded a Special Citation (MBFLGUA) for consistently advocating the promotion
and development of the micro small medium scale enterprises (most number of
MSME) by the PCCI during the 42nd Philippine Business Conference and Expo at
Marriott Hotel in Pasay City. I was the presenter for the province for that
year.
My formal appointment on August 14, 2017 by Governor Faustino "Bojie"
G. Dy III installed me as the first Provincial Tourism Officer of Isabela with
a salary grade of 26. After a couple of days, I received an office order from
the Governor designating me as head of the Isabela Museum and Library (IML) on
top of being a tourism officer.
I was overwhelmed when I was appointed to head the IML for it was in this
institution where I showcased by coins, banknotes and Philippine first day
issue stamps during the term of Governor Benjamin G. Dy and his older brother
Governor Faustino S. Dy, Jr. It was also in the IML when I lectured on the
journey of President Emilio Aguinaldo in Palanan, Isabela during the centennial
of his capture on March 23, 2001 with the Pambansang Suriang Pangkasaysayan
(now the National Historical Commission of the Philippines) recognizing the
article I scribbled on the historic deception that ended the First Philippine
Republic.
After 16 years in 2017, I headed the IML, the tourism, history, heritage,
culture and the arts show window of the Province, and made significant
renovations and innovations. We mounted monthly exhibits celebrating or
commemorating special events; provided technical assistance to LGUs and schools
that planned to establish museums; spearheaded the creation of the Isabela
Museums and Galleries Association; received yearly the Certificate of
Compliance from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) for the
proper inventory of cultural properties in the Province; continued to collect
cultural materials like memorabilias from notable person, past governors,
legislators, mayors; launched online exhibits through the Isabela Tourism
Office FB page during the height of the pandemic; and had polished and
incorporated additional galleries such as the Tilamsik ng Liwanag Exhibit, Art
Capital of the North Gallery (visual arts & scale models and Queen Isabela
Pageant memorabilia), Awards & Bambanti Gallery, Cultural Heritage &
Antiques Gallery and Portraits of Power Gallery (history and photos of
Governors, Vice Governor & Assemblymen and Congressmen and Senator Heherson
T. Alvarez Memorabilia) and Special Exhibits.
The highlights of my stay in the Isabela Museum were when Governor Dy allocated
a significant amount for the restoration of the glory of the old capitol
building (now the IML building) including the fencing of the premises. My endless
love to the Isabela Museum made me loan my personal collection of coins,
banknotes, first day issue Philippine stamps and teapots as part of the special
exhibits.
At the Library, we received various books from different donors like the
Children’s International, National Library of the Philippines (NLP), Quezon
City Library and other individuals; 46,000 books were distributed to 143 public
schools, 6 municipalities and 2 reading centers; encouraged the establishment
of libraries in the different LGUs including reading corners in schools and
barangays; and the NLP bestowed the Isabela public library a Certificate of
Completion for the monthly reports submitted for three consecutive years.
The highlight of my being the caretaker of the Isabela Library was when I was
awarded as the Most Outstanding Public Library Administrator in the Philippines
in 2021. To immortalize this personal accomplishment, I loaned to the IML my
personal Filipiniana Book Collection for the researching public to use.
In my main role in the Isabela Tourism Office (ITO), we headed the Isabela
Tourist Information and Assistance Center; managed the Tienda Isabela
(Pasalubong Center); institutionalized the Tourist Arrival Tracking System of
the Province; led the celebrations and commemoration of local, national and
international events; drafted Tourism Brochures for the Local Government Units
of Isabela; created Promotional Videos on the Tourism Sites of Isabela;
documented (inventory) tourism sites, activities, and culinary of Isabela;
regularly invited as a resource person of BOMBO Radyo and other radio stations
regarding tourism, history, culture & arts; regularly invited as a Resource
Speaker in the different LGUs, schools and CSOs; helped institutionalize the
Isabela Tourism & Cultural Officers Association (ITCOA); part of the team
in the formulation of the award-winning Regional Tourism Brand – “Your lslands
and Valley of Fun” in 2017; headed the Secretariat during the preparation for
the state dinner in honor of the Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines; started
the initial draft of the Isabela Tourism Development Plan and Isabela Tourism
Code; assisted in the institutionalization of health and safety protocols for
COVID-19 in the tourist-related establishments and sites in Isabela; and
represented the Province in the Regional Development Council (RDC) committee
meetings on Culture at NEDA RO2. The official seal of the ITO was also
institutionalized under my tutelage. Aside from tourism works, the ITO-IML
conducted weekly clean-up, sanitation and disinfection in our facilities
including kontra dengue clean up drive in the respective homes of our staff.
Furthermore, we participated in other community services outside the PGI in
schools and barangays such as Brigada Eskwela, treeplanting, clean-up, feeding
program, community book reading and relief operations after calamities.
The highlights of my watch in the ITO were: through the joint efforts of all
PGI officials and employees and the 34 municipalities and 2 cities, the
province was awarded the Best Festival Performance & Practices - Bambanti
Festival in the 28th, 29th and 30th Aliw Awards and Hall of Fame in the 31st
Aliw Awards; captured the Guiness World Records as Largest Gathering of People
Dressed as Scarecrows during the Bambanti Festival in 2019; awarded the
Outstanding Agricultural Festival – Bambanti Festival in the Philippine Live
Entertainment Arts and Festival (LEAF) Awards in 2020; awarded back to back
Grand Champion - Best Tourism Event, Festival as Thanksgiving for a Bountiful
Harvest – Bambanti Festival of Isabela during the ATOP-DOT Pearl Awards,
National Conventions in 2019 and 2022. The Pearl Award was the first national
award under the Rodolfo “Rodito” T. Albano III governorship. Furthermore, the
Province of Isabela was recorded with the most number of tourists in the year
2022 among the five provinces of Region II. Moreover, I was the Head
Secretariat (6 months preparation) during the Bambanti Festivals, Isabela Day
Celebrations and Queen Isabela pageants of 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022.
I love Isabela and forever will. I am proud to flex that through the guidance
of my bosses and my fellow department heads headed by the Provincial
Administrator plus the help of the common PGI employees most especially the
ITO-IML personnel, I believe I had contributed significantly in the development
of tourism, history, heritage, culture and the arts of our beloved Province of
Isabela. My new assignment will not limit me in serving my fellow Isabeleños
but will surely benefit more my provincemates particularly in making Isabela
the next tourism destination in the country. God loves Isabela and is very
evident in the bountiful blessings both natural and man-made plus the
outstanding human resources He had bestowed to the land known as the Sentro ng
AgriKultura. Mabuhay!
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