Senate President Francis ‘Chiz’ G. Escudero played host and tour guide to former Vice President Leni Robredo during her brief visit to Sorsogon for the 50th Kasanggayahan Festival.
Escudero, who personally drove Robredo around the city, said he was more than willing to show a fellow Bicolano the best of what Sorsogon has to offer given how much work he and the entire province has put in to transform itself into one of the most progressive localities in the country.
He explained that Robredo was not only in Sorsogon to join the Kasanggayahan festivities but to benchmark the city as part of her mayoral bid in her hometown of Naga City in Camarines Sur.
“Nag-benchmarking siya nang kaunti dahil kung mananalo siya bilang mayor, nais niyang dalhin ‘yung kanyang city officials para mag-benchmarking sa city of Sorsogon gayundin sa province of Sorsogon kaya sinamahan ko siyang i-tour ang aming kapitolyo, ‘yung aming museum, ‘yung aming People’s Mansion at gayundin ‘yung aming PDRRMO (Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office),” Escudero said.
As a senator and former governor of Sorsogon, Escudero has taken several initiatives to make the province a model for other local government units across the country.
Apart from improving the road networks to boost accessibility to the province, Escudero has also introduced systems to make the delivery of services to the people more efficient, provided homes for the most vulnerable, and oversaw the construction and rehabilitation of buildings and structures that have become landmarks in the Bicol Region.
Under Escudero’s watch as governor, he has successfully secured the ISO Certification of the Provincial Government and has made Sorsogon home to the greatest number of ISO-certified local government units in the country.
The Capitol building of Sorsogon is a 107-year-old neoclassical design building that was renovated and restored as a showcase of the identity of the province.
Close by is the Museo Sorsogon, the former provincial jail and courthouse that was transformed and repurposed into the home of history and culture of the province.
The Sorsogon Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, on the other hand, has been provided with modern equipment, including the institution of a 911 hotline to allow the local government to respond faster and more efficiently to disasters and other emergencies.
The latest infrastructure project completed in the province, the Sorsogon Sports Arena, was unveiled and inaugurated by President Ferdinand Marcos during this year’s Kasanggayahan Festival.
Housed within the 7.1-hectare Sorsogon Sports Complex in Sorsogon City, the arena was patterned after the Colosseum in Rome and is equipped with facilities that make it viable for international competitions and training camp.
“Napagusapan namin ang pagiging benchmark ng Sorsogon, hindi lamang sa Bicol region kundi sa buong Pilipinas na rin. Sinabi namin na willing kaming ibahagi ang aming karanasan para pag-pulutan ng aral ng ibang mga lalawigan, ng ibang mga lugar sa ating bansa para hindi na nila mapagdaan ‘yung mga pagkakamaling pinagdaanan namin at ‘yung mga pagsubok na pinagdaanan namin,” Escudero said.
He said Sorsogon will always be open to sharing its experience with other local government units to replicate it in their respective jurisdictions.