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Monday, August 19, 2013

DOT ag DPWH, nagapatigayon it mga proyektong pangturismo

Ni Venus G. Villanueva KALIBO, Aklan, Agosto 16 (PIA6) -- Ro Department of Tourism (DOT) ag ro Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) hay ililiba nga nagatrabaho makaron sa pag implementar it mga mga karsada nga makabulig sa pagpaumwad it turismo sa Aklan. Daywa (2) sa mga proyekto ngara nga gina-implementar makaron nga dag-on, suno kay DOT6 Regional Director Helen Catalbas hay rong Boracay Circumferential Road project nga nagabalor it P32 milyones ag rong Tangalan-Ibajay Road nga may P50 milyones nga budget. Ginsugid ni Catalbas rayang impormasyon sa bag-o eang ginhiwat nga Regional Consultative Conference on Development nga ginpatawag it Congressional District Office ni Rep. Teodorico Haresco, Jr. Una kara hay ginhambae ni Haresco nga ro aktibidad hay angot sa anang tuyo nga magdasig pa gid rong pag-umwad it Aklan. Ro pakipagtuwang it DOT sa DPWH, hambae ni Catalbas, nga ginatawag nga “convergence” hay sa tuyo nga ma-atenar ro target nga dumueuong nga turista sa isla it Boracay nga sang (1) milyon sa 2016. Sambilog (1) nga proyekto ngaha-implementar eon ku 2012 hay rong Asphalt Overlay and Slope Protection it karsada halin sa Caticlan paadto sa Kalibo sa balor nga P100 milyon. Para sa 2014, ro mga ginaproponer nga mga proyekto sa idaeum it andang pagtuwang hay ro Tagas-Dumatad-Jawili Farm to Market Road ag iba pa gid nga gina proponer nga mga aeagyan sa sueod it agri-tourism nga mga lugar sa Tangalan, pag kongreto it Jawili Coastal Road sa Jawili Falls ag Jawili Beach, pagkongkreto it Afga Access Road, pagkongreto it Baybay paadto sa Dapdap nga karsada ag access road, National Highway it Tagas paadto sa Jawili. Rayang mga proyekto hay magamit agud mapatag-od ro oras sa pagbyahe paadto sa Boracay, ag oportunidad man sa mga turista ag bisita nga makit-an pa ro ibang mga atraksyon it Aklan euwas sa Boracay, pareho ku Jawili Falls ag Jawili Beach sa Tangalan. Ginhambae ni Catalbas nga rayang mga proyekto angot sa turismo hay nagaserbe bilang ana ku gobyerno nga “Strategic Direction for Access and Connectivity” sa mga destinasyon pangturismo sa Aklan. (JSC/VGV-PIA6 Aklan)

Aklanon News: Regional Consultative Conference ginhiwat sa Aklan

Ni Venus G. Villlanueva KALIBO, Aklan, Agosto 14 (PIA6) -- May 20 nga mga regional directors it sari-saring mga ahensya it gobyerno sa Rehiyon 6 ro nag-atender kurundaya eamang it kauna-unahan nga Regional Consultative Development Conference nga ginhiwat sa Aklan. Ro consultative conference nga ginhiwat sa Café Latte sa Kalibo, hay ginlunsar paagi sa inisyatibo ni Congressman Teodorico T. Haresco Jr. sa paghambae nga ro aktibidad hay may kaangtanan sa anang tuyo nga padasigon ro pagpaumwad sa Aklan. Suno kay Haresco, naga sentro imaw sa ap-at nga bagay para sa pag umwad it Aklan – ikamayad it eawas, imprastraktura, trabaho sa turismo, ag edukasyon. Antes sa ginhiwat nga konferensya, si Haresco, kaibahan ro bag-o man na-eleher nga si Governor Florencio T. Miraflores ag Vice Governor Gabrielle Calizo-Quimpo, hay nag-atubang sa media sa sangka press conference ag nagsabat sa sari-saring mga pangutana sa iba-iba nga mga isyu. Samtang, ro mga nagpartisipar sa consultative conference hay sanday Regional Director Helen Catalbas it Department of Tourism, Regional Director Edilberto Tayao it Department of Public Works and Highways, Regional Director Larry Nacionales it Department of Agriculture, Regional Director Dominic Abad it Department of Trade and Industry, Regional Director Agrimero Cruz, Jr. it Philippine National Police ag Regional Director Evelyn Trompeta it Department of the Interior and Local Government. Ro iba pa gid nga mga regional directors ukon andang mga representante nga nagtambong hay halin sa DENR, DAR, BFAR, NIA,DOST,PNP,DOLE,DOH,TESDA,NEDA,DBM,OCD,DOF,DepEd,ag DSWD. Si DOT Regional Director Helen Catalbas nga imaw rong una nga nagpresentar it mga programa ag proyekto ku anang ahensya hay nagtalakay sa industriya it turismo sa Aklan pati eon rong mga gina proponer nga mga proyekto agud mapa abu pa gid ro mga naga-aeabot nga mga turista sa isla it Boracay ag himuon ro biyahe nga madali ag komportable. Ginsugid man ni Catalbas nga ku 2012, ro isla it Boracay hay may 1,206,252 nga mga turista nga nag-abot ag raya hay naka ganar it P22,175,013,017 nga tourist receipts. Ginpaabot man nana nga sa dag-on ngara, ro DOT ag ro DPWH hay may gina-implementar nga “tourism road projects”. Sa parte it DPWH, ginpaabot ni Regional Director Edilberto Tayao nga euwas sa ana ku ahensya nga regular nga mga proyekto, naga implementar man sanda it mga imprastraktura para sa turismo ag sa DepEd sa pag-ugdok it mga buildings ag mga “water sanitation facilities” nga may kabilugan nga balor nga P665 milyon sa dag-on ngara. Sa 2014, ro DPWH hay nag-alokar it P668.07 milyon para sa 8 nga mga maeagko nga mga proyekto sa Aklan. Nagpatigayon man it pag report ro iba pa gid nga mga regional directors. Euwas sa mga presentasyon, ro Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) paagi kay Chairman Rene Villa hay nagtao it P10 milyon nga tseke bilang pang-unang tao sa pag-asister sa proyekto sa tubi it banwang Tangalan, nga ginbaton ni Mayor Gene Fuentes, samtang ro Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation, paagi sa president kara nga si Jovy Bernabe hay nagdawat it balor P14 milyon nga pundo para sa 4,189 nga mga benefisyaryo it crop insurance nga mga Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries it Aklan. Rayang pundo hay ginbaton ni Governor Florencio T. Miraflores ag ni Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer Eberardo Erispe it Department of Agrarian Reform. (JSC/VGV-PIA6 Aklan)

More tourism infra projects up in Aklan

KALIBO, Aklan, August 16 (PIA6) -- The Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) are currently working together in the implementation of tourism road projects in Aklan to further boost the province’ tourism industry. Two of these projects being implemented this year, according to DOT6 Regional Director Helen Catalbas, are the Boracay Circumferential Road project with a budget of P32 million and the Tangalan-Ibajay Road with a P50 million budget. Catalbas shared this information to Aklan officials at the recent Aklan Regional Consultative Conference on Development held at Café Latte, Kalibo, requested by the Congressional District Office of Aklan Rep. Teodorico Haresco, Jr. Haresco said the activity was in line with his intention to spur continued development of Aklan. DOT’s partnership with DPWH, which Catalbas addressed as a convergence, aims to support the country’s target that by 2016, Boracay Island could have 1 million foreign tourists. One project that was already implemented in the province particularly in the western part of Aklan in support of this target is the Asphalt Overlay and Slope Protection of Caticlan to Kalibo Road with the project amount of P100 million. For 2014, proposed projects under the convergence include the Tagas-Dumatad-Jawili Farm to Market Road and other proposed access road within agri-tourism areas in Tangalan, Aklan, Concreting of Jawili Coastal Road within Jawili Falls and Jawili Beach, Concreting of Jawili Coastal Road, Concreting of Afga Access Road, Concreting of Jawili Beach Road, Concreting of Baybay to Dapdap Road, and Concreting of Access Road, National Highway Tagas to Jawili. These projects could also be used to shorten the trip from Kalibo to Caticlan, the jump-off point to Boracay Island, and at the same time offer a chance for tourists to see other attractions in the area, like the Jawili Beach and Jawili Falls in Tangalan, Aklan. Catalbas said these tourism road projects serve as the government’s Strategic Direction for Access and Connectivity to the province’ prime tourist destinations. (JCM/VGV PIA 6 Aklan)

Waste management company to help solve Kalibo's trash problem

KALIBO, Aklan, August 17 (PIA6) -- The Municipal Economic Enterprise Development Office (MEEDO) Board of the municipality of Kalibo recently met with a private company to talk about the garbage problem of the capital town. The private company – Waste and Resources Management Incorporated (WARM), according to LGU-Kalibo, has waste recycling, composting and other waste management technologies, that can help Kalibo rid of its garbage problem and at the same time generate earnings for the town and create jobs for Kalibonhons. WARM, according to Glenn Bernardo, Business Development Executive of Lina Group of Companies where it belongs, is able to convert waste into useful products which could be recycled. Bernardo said that Alberto Lina, the company owner, has an advocacy for Aklan to be a “green” province. In their initial talk, Bernardo said WARM offered to buy Kalibo’s garbage, and pay for the trucking, warehousing, salaries and wages, disposal and treatment and maintenance. Persons who will be employed by WARM will also come from Kalibo, who will be trained by the company. Collected garbage, on the other hand, will be sold to WARM’s partners, and the town of Kalibo will be paid monthly by the company based on garbage tonnage. For the venture, LGU-Kalibo officials said WARM needs some 500 square meters for housing of machineries and space for sorting, composting and other processes which could be from 2,000 – 3,000 square meters. The MEEDO Board will be meeting with them again on the last week of August to present their studies and proposals, LGU-Kalibo officials said. (LGU-Kalibo/VGV PIA6 Aklan)

Monday, August 12, 2013

Aklanon News: Aklan may nagakaigo nga bugas

KALIBO, Aklan, Agusto 8 (PIA6) -- Indi dapat maghadlok ro mga Akeanon nga maubusan it bugas ukon magutoman sa buean ngara it Agusto bangud ginapasalig it National Food Authority (NFA) nga may nagakaigo nga bugas sa probinsya makaron. Suno kay OIC Provincial Manager Martina Lodero it NFA-Aklan, ro nakatipon nga bugas sa bodega it gobyerno ag sa mga negosyante it bugas imaw man sa mga panimaeay hay magabuhya it 50 diyas, base sa andang pag imbentaryo. Ro nakatipon makaron nga bugas hay maigo sa kinahangeanon it mga pumueuyo sueod it haeos daywang (2) buean ag sa mga katapusan it Agusto ukon mag-abot ro katunga-tunga it Setyembre, maga umpisa eon it pag-ani it mga tinanum nga paeay. Sa makaron, sari-saring mga klase it bugas ag depende sa kalidad ro ginabaliigya sa mga tindahan nga naga presyo it P30.00 kada kilo ag pasaka, pero para sa mga Aklanon nga pigado ro kwarta, una ro NFA rice nga P27.00 eamang ro kada kilo. Ginpasalig ni Lodero nga ro bugas nga ginabaligya sa mga tindahan hay mayad-ayad ro kalidad ag masustansya pa bangud raya hay ginbutanan it “iron”. Ginhambae man ni Lodero nga ro NFA rice hay produkto mismo sa Aklan nga ginbakae it NFA sa mga mangunguma. Bisan ro supplemental feeding nga programa it gobyerno hay nagagamit it NFA rice. Sa maabot ngara nga tig-aeani, nag-apelar si Lodero sa mga mangunguma nga magbaligya sa NFA it anda nga patubas agud may tipunon eon man para sa mga maabot nga mga binuean. Ro pagtipon it paeay it NFA hay agud may paadtunan man ukon mapilian ro mga pigadong pumueuyo kon magmahae it mayad ro “commercial rice”. (JSC/VGV-PIA6 Aklan)

NFA assures enough rice for Aklanons this lean month

By: Venus G. Villanueva KALIBO, Aklan, Aug. 8 (PIA6) -- Aklanons need not fear of running out of rice and going hungry this month of August, as the National Food Authority (NFA) here assures there is enough of this staple food in the province. According to NFA-Aklan OIC Provincial Manager Martina Lodero, Aklan’s rice stocks, found at the government warehouse and those of commercial wholesalers, retailers and millers and in households will last up to 50 days, based on the NFA’s inventory and monitoring. The current supply, Lodero said, will sustain Aklanon’s rice needs for almost two months and by end of August or mid-September, farmers will already be harvesting their current rice crops which will be the source of new buffer stock for the province. Aklan public markets are currently selling various varieties of commercial rice with varying prices ranging from P30.00 per kilo and up, but for Aklanons having tight budgets, Lodero said they can opt to buy NFA rice sold by accredited retailers at P27.00 only. Lodero assured that NFA rice sold by accredited retailers is of good quality, affordable and nutritious as well, because it is fortified with iron. “Our NFA rice came from palay stocks sold by Aklan farmers to us, so we are assured here in the province that we are consuming our own produce,” Lodero said. The government’s supplemental feeding program which benefits day care kids in the province also uses NFA rice, Lodero revealed. For the coming harvest season, Lodero appealed to Aklan farmers to sell their produce to the NFA to ensure that the province will have ample supply for the coming months. The NFA’s ample rice supply aims to create a balance and an option for those who cannot afford to buy commercial rice. (JSC/VGV-PIA6 Aklan)

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Gains from Aklan's tourism industry to support agri, health programs

By Venus G. Villanueva KALIBO, Aklan, Aug. 6 (PIA6) -- Earnings generated by Aklan’s booming tourism industry through jetty port collections and tourism receipts will have great implications on the province’ programs for agriculture and health, according to Aklan governor Florencio T. Miraflores. Delivering for the first time his “Governor’s Report to the People” aired over GMA-DYRU here August 3, Miraflores said collections generated by the province’s jetty ports – Caticlan in Malay and Cagban in Boracay Island, respectively, for arriving and departing tourists from January to July of this year which reached P209,807,373.00 can well support Aklan’s programs on agriculture and health. Governor Miraflores said the period’s collections this year is higher by 92% compared with last year’s collection for the same period which was P116,879,306.00. The increase in jetty port collections, according to Miraflores, is attributed to the increase in imposed terminal fees as well as on the continuous increase of tourist arrivals in the province particularly Boracay Island. Miraflores said Aklan has currently some 20,000 PhilHealth members whose premiums are paid by the Provincial Government and the preceding premiums, which will double in 2014 and is seen to reach P48 million. “We plan to have more PhilHealth beneficiaries because many still need to be included in the program”, Miraflores said in his report. He also said tourism gains could also aid the province’s agricultural programs through the increase of farmers’s subsidy in the purchase of hybrid and certified rice seeds and farm mechanization. Expressing optimism in the attainment of 1.5 million tourists this year, the governor said his leadership will continue the reclamation project started in Caticlan to answer the need for additional facilities for tourists. He also expressed the hope that with the assistance to be rendered to the province’s agriculture sector as an offshoot of the increased earnings through tourism, the needs of the tourists in the island could also be taken care of. “It must be Aklan which should produce the tourists’ needs,” he said. (JSC/VGV-PIA6 Aklan)

Aklanon News: Agrikultura ag ikamayad it eawas magabenefisyo sa turismo

Ni Venus G. Villanueva KALIBO, Aklan, Agusto 6 (PIA6) -- Ro mabahoe nga ginakita it probinsya paagi sa industriya sa turismo hay mabahoe rong maging epekto sa programa sa agrikultura ag sa ikamayad it eawas, suno kay Governor Florencio T. Miraflores. Sa anang ginpaabot nga “Governor’s Report to the People” paagi sa sangka estasyon it radyo sa Aklan, ginsugid ni Miraflores nga ro ha kolektar it mga jetty ports sa Caticlan sa Malay ag Cagban sa Boracay nga aeagyan it mga turista paadto ag pahalin sa isla halin it Enero hasta Hulyo it dag-on ngara hay nag-abot sa P209,807,373 ag makasuporta it mayad sa programa it probinsya sa agrikultura ag ikamayad it eawas. Ginhambae ni Miraflores nga ro ha kolektar sa dag-on ngara sa nasambit nga tiyempo hay mas mataas it 92% ku sa ha kolektar ku nagtaliwan nga dag-on, nga nag-abot sa P116,879,306.00 Ro mabahoe nga pagdugang sa koleksyon sa jetty port, suno kana, hay bangud sa pagdugang man it sukot sa terminal fee ag ro sigidas nga pag-inabot it mga turista sa Boracay. Ginhambae ni Miraflores nga sa makaron, may 20,000 nga mga pamilya nga ro premium hay ginabayaran it probinsya, ag ro masunod nga premium sa 2014 hay ginapanan-aw nga magdoble ag maabot man sa P48 million. Ginhambae man nana nga kinahangean nga dugangan pa ro mga madaea sa Philhealth ay abu pa ro dapat itapue sa programa. Ginsugid man nana nga ro mga hakita sa turismo hay pwede man nga ika ayuda sa agrikultura paagi sa pagdugang sa sabsidiya sa mga mangunguma sa pagbakae it binhi ag imaw man sa mga makinarya. Bangud mabahoe ro pagsalig nga maatenar ro gina target nga 1.5 milyones nga turista sa dag-on ngara, ginhambae man nana ro pagpadayon sa “reclamation” project sa Caticlan agud makapatindog it dugang nga mga pasilidad para sa mga turista. Paagi man sa bulig it turismo sa agrikultura, ginpaabot man nana ro pagpanan-aw nga ro mga kinahangeanon it mga turista sa isla hay masabat man mismo it probinsya, bangud ro probinsya sapat ro naga produser it mga kinahangeanon it mga turista. (JSC/VGV-PIA6 Aklan)

Gains from Aklan's tourism industry to support agri, health programs

By Venus G. Villanueva KALIBO, Aklan, Aug. 6 (PIA6) -- Earnings generated by Aklan’s booming tourism industry through jetty port collections and tourism receipts will have great implications on the province’ programs for agriculture and health, according to Aklan governor Florencio T. Miraflores. Delivering for the first time his “Governor’s Report to the People” aired over GMA-DYRU here August 3, Miraflores said collections generated by the province’s jetty ports – Caticlan in Malay and Cagban in Boracay Island, respectively, for arriving and departing tourists from January to July of this year which reached P209,807,373.00 can well support Aklan’s programs on agriculture and health. Governor Miraflores said the period’s collections this year is higher by 92% compared with last year’s collection for the same period which was P116,879,306.00. The increase in jetty port collections, according to Miraflores, is attributed to the increase in imposed terminal fees as well as on the continuous increase of tourist arrivals in the province particularly Boracay Island. Miraflores said Aklan has currently some 20,000 PhilHealth members whose premiums are paid by the Provincial Government and the preceding premiums, which will double in 2014 and is seen to reach P48 million. “We plan to have more PhilHealth beneficiaries because many still need to be included in the program”, Miraflores said in his report. He also said tourism gains could also aid the province’s agricultural programs through the increase of farmers’s subsidy in the purchase of hybrid and certified rice seeds and farm mechanization. Expressing optimism in the attainment of 1.5 million tourists this year, the governor said his leadership will continue the reclamation project started in Caticlan to answer the need for additional facilities for tourists. He also expressed the hope that with the assistance to be rendered to the province’s agriculture sector as an offshoot of the increased earnings through tourism, the needs of the tourists in the island could also be taken care of. “It must be Aklan which should produce the tourists’ needs,” he said. (JSC/VGV-PIA6 Aklan)

Aklanon News: 0.74 sentimos balor it piso sa Aklan ku Hunyo 2013

Ni Venus G. Villanueva KALIBO, Aklan, Agusto 5 (PIA6) -- Ro balor it piso sa Aklan ku Hunyo 2013 hay 0.74 sentimos, suno sa National Statistics Office (NSO). Rayang balor, suno sa NSO-Aklan, hay paeareho sa pasunod nga limang (5) buean, nga nagakahueugan nga ro piso ku 2006 hay 0.74 sentimos ro haega ku Hunyo 2013. Sa simple nga interpretasyon, raya hay nagakahueugan nga ro sangka basket it mga baeakeon ukon serbisyo nga nagabalor it P74.00 ku 2006 hay mabakae ku Hunyo 2013 it P100.00. Ro “purchasing power” it piso hay sangka pagsukat it minatuod nga balor it piso sa sangka tiyempo. Ro “market basket” hay sangka termino nga gina gamit sa pagtumod sa sangka grupo it mga baeakeon ag serbisyo nga ginabakae it sangka kasarangan nga panimaeay. Samtang, ginpabutyag man it NSO-Aklan nga ro “Consumer Price Index” ukon CPI sa Aklan hay nagtaas it 5.4% ku buean it Hunyo, nga nagpakita it pasaka nga direksyon it mga baeakeon ag serbisyo sa probinsya. Ro CPI sa Aklan hay ginbutang sa sa 135.2 ku Hunyo 2013 halin sa 129.8 it kapareho nga tyempo ku nagtaliwan nga dag-on. Suno sa NSO, ro pinakamataas nga CPI hay nakita sa Alcoholic Beverages ag Tabakonga may 33.9% halin sa 128.6 sa 162.5, ginsundan it Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages nga may 6.3% nga marka halin sa 136.2 paadto sa 142.5; ag Non-Food items nga may 3.0 halin sa 124.4 paadto sa 127.4. (NSO/JSC/VGV-PIA6 Aklan)

Peso worth 0.74 cents in Aklan in June 2013

KALIBO, Aklan, August 5 (PIA6) -- The purchasing power of peso in Aklan in June 2013 was pegged at 0.74 centavos, according to the National Statistics Office (NSO) here. This value, according to NSO-Aklan, remained constant over the last five successive months, which means that one peso (P1.00) in 2006 is worth seventy-four (P0.74) centavos in June 2013. Interpreted in another way, this means that the same basket of goods and services worth P74.00 in 2006 can be bought at P100.00 in June 2013. Purchasing power of the peso is a measure of the real value of the peso in a given period relative to a chosen reference period. Market basket, on the other hand, is a term used to refer to a sample of goods and services that are commonly purchased and bought by an average Filipino household. Meanwhile, data from NSO-Aklan also revealed that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in Aklan increased by 5.4% during the month of June, showing an upward movement particularly in consumer goods and services throughout the province. The CPI in Aklan was placed at 135.2 in June 2013 from 129.8 of the same period a year ago. According to the NSO, the highest increase in CPI was noted in Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco with 33.9% from 128.6 to 162.5; followed by Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages with 6.3% mark from 136.2 to 142.5, and Non-Food items with 3.0% from 124.4 to 127.4. (NSO/JSC/VGV-PIA6 Aklan)

Press Release: Monument, historical marker of Gen. Macario Peralta unveiled in Aklan

KALIBO, Aklan, August 1 (PIA6) -- The monument of a Filipino military man, Gen. Macario Peralta Jr. who refused to surrender to Japanese invaders during World War II and instead led the 6th Military District in May 1942 in guerilla warfare against the Japanese in Panay Island, was unveiled here at the Aklan Provincial Capitol Grounds July 30. July 30 also turned out to his Centennial Birth Anniversary, having been born in 1913. Held along with the unveiling of his monument located at the left side of the Provincial Capitol entrance was also the unveiling of the historical marker at the foot of his statue, which was provided by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. Information sourced from historicphilippines.com. revealed that General Macario Peralta Jr. was born in Manila on June 30, 2013 of Ilocano-Pangasinan descent and grew up in Tarlac, finished his Bachelor of Laws degree at the University of the Philippines, graduating cum laude in 1936 and passing the bar the same year obtaining second place. He joined the Philippine Army in 1936 as a reserved officer and was later commissioned in the regular force as second Lieutenant. During the war, he was in the Visayas as Chief of Operations of the 61st Division, Philippine Army (USAFFE), then being mobilized in Iloilo. After the surrender of the USAFFE troops to the Japanese, Peralta, then a Captain, organized and led the guerillas in Panay, Romblon, Palawan, Marinduque and portions of Masbate and Mindoro. In this resistance campaign against the Japanese, Peralta displayed his exemplary leadership, competence and gallantry in action. For this he was awarded the Distinguished Service Star. The United States government conferred on him the Distinguised Service Cross and the Silver Star. A signing of the certificate of transfer of the historical marker followed after the unveiling, through Governor Miraflores who represented Aklan, and Hon. Badoy for NHCP. Governor Miraflores then delivered his acceptance message, while response was given by Dr. Engelbert Peralta, youngest son of Gen. Macario Peralta. In his message, Governor Miraflores said the statue of Gen. Peralta, in its modest way, wishes to emphasize the value of national freedom and dignity, exemplify courage and nationalism to the succeeding generations. Aklan Congressman Teodorico Haresco, Jr., on the other hand, said the guerilla resistance led by Peralta in Panay was the only successful movement against the Japanese, and his individual tribute and distinguished record in the army was matched by his record in the Philippine Senate, as Peralta also became a Philippine senator in 1949, the youngest at the age of 36. Both Miraflores and Haresco are sons of World War II veterans. General Carolina, for his part, lauded Peralta for leading the most successful guerilla resistance in the country, noting his role in the defeat of the Japanese forces in Panay. In the same occasion, twenty Aklan veterans, with ages from 90 and up, were awarded as Outstanding Aklanon veterans. PVAO also distributed wheelchairs and canes to identified veterans. According to PVAO, Aklan has more or less 40 living veterans, with Veteran Leodegario Carillo as the oldest at 98. He is also said to be the oldest veteran in Western Visayas. (JCM/VGV PIA6 Aklan)