Marinduque missing former Gov. Bong Carrion (1948-2017)

Former Governor of Marinduque, Jose Antonio 'Bong'  N. Carrion 

Gov. Jose Antonio "Bong" Nieva Carrion has died. The Philippine flag at the provincial capitol of Marinduque is now flying at half-mast.

Bong Carrion was elected governor of Marinduque in 1995 and served for a single term of 3 years (1995-1998). He got elected again after 9 years, holding that position from 2007-2010. One of his priority projects in education was an early childhood learning program for day-care kids in Marinduque's 227 day-care centers, one involving instructional software learning program that was challenged by his political opponents after having been implemented for three consecutive years from 2007.

Carrion is a great grandson of the late Lt. Gov. Juan Morente Nieva, who administered Marinduque from 1907-1916 when the island province was under the political jurisdiction as a sub-province of Tayabas (now Quezon).

It was during his term as governor of Marinduque when in early 1996, Bong Carrion spearheaded in cooperation with the governors of the island-provinces of the region the creation of a new socio-economic aggrupation acronymed MIMAROPA (for Or. Mindoro, Occ. Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan). It was to be the counterpart of the CALABARZON industrial growth area composed of the mainland provinces of Southern Luzon. Gov. Valencia of Or. Mindoro was then elected as chairman.

It was on May 17, 2002, by virtue of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s Executive Order No. 103, that Region IV was divided into Region IV-A (CALABARZON) and Region IV-B (MIMAROPA).

Philippine flag flies at half-mast at Marinduque's seat of government.
Photo taken March 29.

Gov. Jose Antonio N. Carrion's State of the Province Address, 2008

Communities in Marinduque remain peaceful and insurgency-free nearly a year after the internal security operations of the Armed forces of the Philippines (AFP) was turned over to the province’s Peace and Order Council (PPOC). The continuing peaceful status is attributed to the effective maintenance of security by the local government as well as the PPOC's observance of the provisions embodied in the Memorandum of Agreement. Marinduque was the first province to be declared insurgency-free by the AFP.

Gov. Carrion and AFP Southern Luzon Command Chief Roland Detabali after MOA signing.

Marinduque had 20 NPA affected barangays in 2004; this number reduced to zero by 2008. As for NPA’s strength, it had 47 armed members during the years 2004-2007 but had been reduced to zero by 2008.

“With the absence of NPA intimidation and terrorism in the province of Marinduque, the people began to experience progress as the business climate and tourist arrivals improve”, said Brig. Gen Francisco N. Cruz Jr, Civil Relations Service commander.

Gov. Jose Antonio N. Carrion's SOPA, 2009:

Excerpts:

Under President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s Strong Infrastructure Program Marinduque province is also the recipient of national road programs. The Balimbing-Bantay Road in Boac with a budget of 67-million pesos is almost completed; the Poblacion Torrijos-Maranlig road budgeted at 50-million pesos is 100% completed. These roads will finally connect Boac and Torrijos with the completion of the Hinapulan-Tumagabok bridge. 

Hinapulan-Tumagabok Bridge

Thanks to the efforts of DPWH under Secretary Ebdane and the good District Engr. Magtanggol Roldan, our people have not seen such determination so that these projects would not be haunted by ghosts.

Under the same program the Yook-Libas-Lipata road in Buenavista (82-million), that leads to Bellarocca Island Resort is now being concreted, intermittent sections of the circumferential road from Buenavista to Torrijos road are also being asphalted. In 2008 a total of 300-million pesos has been released for these projects and 130-million pesos during the first half of 2009.

Marinduque Airport after being non-operational for four years, is now being serviced by ZESTAIR since November 2008. SEAIR will soon fly their 19-seater LET aircrafts, and operations will not be hampered when the 161-million peso runway extension goes in full swing.

Marinduque Airport after being non-operational for four years, was serviced by ZESTAIR in November 2008.

The rehabilitation of Cawit Port, identified as a vital linkage connecting Marinduque to the Strong Republic Nautical Highway (Western Seaboard) as part of the Luzon Urban Beltway project, has been completed and opened last year. The route Cawit-Lucena and Cawit-San Juan is already being serviced with two shipping lines in operation: Montenegro and Star Horse Shipping Lines. During the Lenten season 7,107 Islands Cruise ship also called on the port a couple of times bringing in hundreds of tourists.

Cruise ship in Cawit Port

Sa TURISMO naman, naging higit na masigla ang pagsasagawa ng mga programa para sa pagpapalago ng turismo. 

Adventure-sports tourism.

Ibat-ibang adventure sports activities ang naganap upang palaganapin ang konsepto ng ecotourism sa Marinduque: mountain biking, motocross, airsoft war games, defensive shooting, hobies, marathon runs, scuba-diving at spelunking. 
Dahil sa mga gawaing ito nagkaroon ng pagkakataong makitang tuluyan ang potential ng ilang mga lugar para sa pagpapalaganap ng barangay-based tourism para sa kapakinabangan ng ating mga kababayan.

Isa dito ang  Luzon Datum Ecopark sa Hinanggayon at Argao na nakatakda ng gawing national landmark sa tulong ng NAMRIA at DENR.

Si Carrion kasama ang mga opisyal ng NAMRIA at DENR tungkol sa Luzon Datum Ecopark Development.

At sa unang pagkakataon nadiskubre ng cave exploration team ng ating provincial tourism office ang San Isidro Caves at Subterranean River. Maingat ang hakbang na dapat isagawa para ito mapanatili sa kasalukuyang kaanyuan.

Promotion ng San Isidro (Bagumbungan) Cave sa unang pagkakataon.

Nagkaroon ng pagkakataong ipakita ng ating mga kababayan ang ibat-ibang festivals na patuloy ang pagpapa-develop bilang pangturismong gawain. Naging daan ang pagpupugay sa “ARAW NG MARINDUQUE” na idineklara na ng Sangguniang Panlalawigan bilang isang ordinansa, upang patuloy na maibahagi ng ating mga kababayan, lalo na ng mga kabataan, ang kanilang kagalingan sa lahat ng bagay na may kinalaman sa kultura at sining.