President Duterte vows to improve health, education and power services in Basilan

President Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte, together with Agriculture Secretary Manny Pinol, view the 7 units of farm 4WD Farm Tractor for farmers at Limo-ok Lamitan City, Basilan Province on Monday (October 10, 2016). (Photo: Oliver Marquez/PNA)

ZAMBOANGA CITY – President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday assured the residents of Basilan that his administration will improve the services on health, education and power in the province.

Duterte made the assurance in a program at the covered court of the Lamitan Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative (LARBECO) in Barangay Limook, Lamitan City.

The President said he will source out funds to upgrade the government-run hospitals in Basilan province and to construct more national high schools as well as to address the power problem.

Durete said the upgrading of the hospital is one of his priority projects to improve the delivery of health services in the province.

There are two government-owned hospitals in Basilan province. These are the Basilan General Hospital (BGH) of the Department of Health (DOH) and the Lamitan Community Hospital of Lamitan City.

The two government-owned hospitals are complemented by three private hospitals and barangay health units.

Duterte said he will send DOH Secretary Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial to Basilan province to assess the BGH in preparation for the health facility’s upgrading.

The President said he will also order the construction of more national high schools to strengthen the education program in Basilan province.

He advised the parents to invest in education by sending their children to school in order for them to have bright future.

President Duterte also said a study should be conducted on the possibility of tapping the sea current as source of power to boost the electricity supply of the province.

The main source of power of Basilan province is a power barge owned by the National Power Corporation (Napocor).

Duterte visited Basilan to look into the severity of the coconut scale insect or cocolisap infestation in the province.

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol and other officials of the department and Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) joined the President in his visit to Basilan.

They also distributed equipment, farm inputs and other assistance to the farmers affected by the cocolisap infestation in the province.