Governor Migs Dominguez inaugural speech as delivered on June 28, 2010

Hon. Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, newly elected officials, my fellow co-workers, friends and guests who flew and came from far places, to my family and to all Sarangans. Good morning.

Fellow elected officials; we just went through a democratic exercise where the will of the people prevailed.

I believe the Sarangans put us in position of public trust. It is trust that we should and must not fail.

Today, we take our oaths of office with a covenant that we will work for the aspirations of our people with the unity in purpose and the purest of intentions.

All of us are here for a duty – to serve our beloved the people of Sarangani.

The people have spoken. It is time for us to cast aside our political affiliations, do away with our political and personal differences and march forward in unison.

I will be on It will be my third and final term of office.

It has been a rewarding - even if challenging – six years for me and I will look ahead at the next three years as a completion to the chapter of life in public office.

Today, we are faced with greater challenges of maintaining and improving what we have accomplished while aspiring for more development for the province and the people of Sarangani.

Poverty is still the main obstacle to our success – although this is not exclusive to us.

But I believed there is no obstacle in success that an empowered people cannot overcome.

I believe with the help of our newly elected officials, we will be able to better the improvement we made during the last six years.

From the country’s fourth poorest province, Sarangani moved up the ladder of this ignominy. We have leaped from being the fourth poorest province in the country in 2004.



We have very much improved at 14th , and by 2013, we will breach the 20th list. And I promised that by 2013, we will no longer be called a poor province

By then, we will no longer be considered as among the poorest in the Philippines. That I will guarantee you.

All of us look forward to a Sarangani that is progressive and competitive.

I asked that all of us focus all our endeavors towards educating and addressing the needs of our people. A government focused on developing its competencies and addressing the basic needs of our people – education, health and livelihood.

Let us work together to provide better opportunities for the people of Sarangani by ensuring that each and every child will have the opportunity to acquire quality and affordable education. And we shall promise that No child will be left behind in this province of Sarangani.

Let us work hand in hand in providing more job opportunities and livelihood to our people.

Let all of us rise above political and ideological differences to ensure that peace will reign in order for progress and development to come in.

Let us be in the midst and in the forefront of our people in times of challenges, calamities and disasters and take the backstage in times of triumph.

For our success is our people’s victory.

Let us set the highest standard of public service by being transparent and being beyond reproach.

Let us become models of our youth and the others who will one day take our places.

Sarangani has made its mark as one of Mindanao’s fastest rising provinces in the whole Mindanao.

In the last six years, we have established a well-liked reputation as a hospitable and investor-friendly province.

Our task is to make Sarangani a likeable place to live in where equal opportunities are made available to each and everyone.

I have gone through the challenges and rough roads in the past and have prevailed.

With you, my fellow officials, I do not see any reason why we cannot continue to do so.

To our people in Sarangani, for as long as I am your governor – with the help of my fellow officials – rest assured that you can sleep soundly with the thought that each and everyone is secured with the hope of a brighter future ahead.

You can count that good governance will still be the cornerstone of our administration. I will fulfill my covenant and obligation as a public official.

Three years from now, I hope we cannot just bid each other tearful and joyous goodbyes.

I hope that we part ways with the high esteem for each other –

that you my people help me succeed and that I did not fail you.

Good morning.