• CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
An ordinance renaming North Capitol Road, Bacolod City, bounded on the east by Lacson Street and San Juan Street on the west, to “Gov. Alfredo Marañon, Jr. Avenue”, was approved by the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod on first reading Wednesday.
Authored by Councilor Homer Bais, the proposed ordinance said that in 2010, Marañon pioneered and institutionalized the Negros Occidental Comprehensive Health Program (NOCHIP), a comprehensive medical coverage that afforded financially challenged constituents of the province to avail of hospital services without paying the required deposit.
During his first term from 2010 to 2013, Marañon launched the Negros First Development Agenda that centered on food security and agriculture, such as the Sagay Marine Reserve; promotion of organic farming, campaign against Genetically Modified Organism (GMO), as a means of food production; promotion of renewable energy such as energy harvested from the sun, biomass from sugarcane bagasse, and strong opposition to coal-fired power plants, it said.
In 2010 to 2015, he was able to secure funding for the Negros First Cyber Center (NFCC) or Cyber IT hub of Negros Occidental built inside the Paglaum Sports Complex as an economic strategy thru Information Technology and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), a labor intensive initiative that provided employment to the resident of the city, the ordinance said.
Marañon, thru his leadership, was also instrumental in the formulation and creation of the Negros Island Region (NIR), it said.
The achievements and contributions of the late Gov. Alfredo Marañon, Jr., have immensely improved the economy and well-being of the province in general and the city in particular, the ordinance said.
The renaming of North Capitol Road to “Gov. Alfredo G. Maranon, Jr. Avenue”, in honor of the late governor, is the sincerest and priceless gesture every Bacolodnon can confer to an honorable man who selflessly dedicated his entire life in serving the people, it added.*
