The provincial government of Quezon was able to make significant headway in the delivery of meaningful and sustainable services, Governor Helen Tan said.
Tan, in a speech, highlighted her accomplishments as the first woman governor of the Province of Quezon during her “Ulat sa Lalawigan” on Monday which focused on the delivery of health services and various programs and projects.
Tan explained that although there is still much to be done in fighting poverty, the provincial government was able to implement projects and services including health, education, agriculture, livelihood, infrastructure, nature and environment/tourism, and good governance (HEALING).
Tan cited gains for the Quezon Medical Center (QMC) which is now in the middle of massive physical renovation and management improvement.
She reported that QMC is now enjoying public confidence through its delivery of improved services. QMC was also able to bring down to 400 what used to be a 600 average occupancy for the hospital which has only 200 authorized bed capacity.
Tan also highlighted the implementation of PhilHealth’s Konsultasyong Sulit at Tama or Konsulta Package in Quezon as one of the five pilot LGUs where the public can access preventive care services including free medicine and laboratory tests for out-patient consultations.
As part of her continuing advocacy of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act, which she authored when she was a member of Congress, Tan reported that she has signed the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) together with all the city and municipal local chief executives along with the Department of Health (DOH) for the implementation of the Province-Wide Health System Integration that is considered as the first in the country.
“With a provincial government that is deep in debt and with very little financial resources, not much can be done. But I am happy to report that we have done so much”, Gov. Tan said.
Also part of her long list of accomplishments are the implementation of the “One Family, One College Graduate Scholarship Program” and “Priority Courses Scholarship and Return Service Program; formation of 31 cooperatives for the coconut farmers in line with the Coconut Farmers Industry Development Program; and various infrastructure projects.
She likewise underscored the observance of best managerial practices, good financial housekeeping, and prudent use of funds under her leadership that paved the way for the Provincial Government to get the highest audit rating from the Commission on Audit (COA) or the “unmodified opinion” for the first time, a coveted mark from the country’s supreme auditing arm as it indicates a culture of clean financial governance.
Gov. Tan renewed her commitment to deliver on her HEALING agenda, which she promised to pursue in the remaining two years of her term.
Various guests from national government agencies, Sangguniang Panlalawigan, local government units, non-government organizations, people’s organizations and private sector attended the event.