Atty. Glenn A. Chong

BiliranIsland.com

Press Like for your preferred candidates in the line up

BIOGRAPHY, PLATFORM OF GOVERNMENT
ATTY. GLENN ANG CHONG, CPA
FORMER REPRESENTATIVE OF BILIRAN

Glenn Ang – Chong (born July 12, 1974) is a Filipino politician. A member of the Liberal Party, he was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives, representing the Lone District of Biliran beginning in 2007.

A lawyer and certified public accountant by profession, Chong won his election in 2007 by defeating former Representative Gerardo Espina, Sr., who had held the seat from 1995 to 2004.

Born July 12, 1974 in Cebu City to Charlie Chong & Adelfa Ang. He is the eldest of three children.

Glenn Chong is a consistent honor student, graduating valedictorian in both elementary and high school. He finished his accountancy degree at the Cebu Institute of Technology. He went on to study law at the University of San Carlos, graduating at the top of his class (cum laude).

During his college and law school days, he garnered numerous significant awards in extemporaneous public speaking, public debates, on-the-spot essay writing, and accountancy contests, among others.

On September 7, 2006, the former governor of Biliran, the last remaining opposition leader against the Espina political dynasty which controlled Biliran since 1995 was fatally shot to death in front of his wife by a known bodyguard of the Espina political dynasty. The gunman was arrested immediately after the shooting but died in prison sometime in February 2010.

Glenn Chong took up the cudgels for the fallen opposition leader and subsequently won an award for young leaders’ training sponsored by the Ateneo School of Government and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung in the Philippines.

On January 22, 2007, he decided to challenge the patriarch of the ruling Espina family for the position of representative. He defeated a seasoned political giant in the elections in 2007.

During his term in office, he instituted two signature projects in education and health for his constituents. A fleet of 14 air-conditioned tourist coaches formed the backbone of a school bus system that ferried approximately 7,000 high-school students daily from the upland and coastal barangays to school and back without paying a single peso. A strategic health initiative was also put in place with a mobile clinic staffed with 32 doctors, dentists, nurses, physical therapists, and auxiliary support staff. This medical/dental missions operated 4 times weekly on a year-round basis.

Additionally, Glenn Chong supported approximately 2,000 college scholars in various universities, connected all high-schools in Biliran to the internet in partnership with Gilas Foundation, established a library hub, and authored three laws (Republic Acts No. 10004, 10005, and 9872) creating three specialized (arts and culture, information and communications technology, and science) high schools in Biliran. He also authored the law (Republic Act No. 9718) converting the Naval Institute of Technology into Naval State University.

For his unequivocal commitment to serve the Filipino people and his very exceptional accomplishments in education which are beneficial to the people fostering sustainable development and progress, Glenn Chong was conferred a Doctor of Humanities degree, honoris causa on March 23, 2010 at the Naval State University.

PLATFORM OF GOVERNMENT
(KKK)

Basic Postulate:

Despite 21 years of semi-autonomous government granted to our people under the Local Government Code of 1991, by which Biliran became effectively a full-fledged province in 1992, a great majority of our people remains mired in abject poverty and deprivation. The full benefits of self-government offered by the law creating it has miserably failed to filter down to the masses so as to offer a measurable degree of economic improvement in their lives.

The levers of economic power remain in the hands of a very few rich families while the middle class has failed to expand and offer a countervailing power to the economic control exercised by the privileged few. Worse, the levers of political power remain in the tight grip of only one political dynasty that has ruled our people for 18 long years. The concentration of political power and offices in just one political dynasty effectively removes any checks and balances in the system. Without sufficient balance of power, no meaningful reforms can ever take place and the powerless people will remain mired in poverty, deprivation and stagnation.

The longer this imbalanced economic and political systems remain, the more it becomes impossible to break. And as the prices of basic commodities increase every year while the incomes of the lower class of society stagnates, deepening hunger and poverty will continue to spread unchecked. The people will remain shackled in poverty. Economic deprivation becomes a powerful tool in the perpetuation of political power.

Long-term effective solutions must be instituted to address the growing poverty incidence of the people. We cannot afford stop-gap measures or palliative solutions to a deepening crisis. We cannot afford another 18 long years waiting for the right solution to come along.

The only way out of this hopeless situation is for the shackled people to summon their political will to fight against economic and political oppression through the ballots. True enough, elections in this country is one giant circus of turncoats, traitors and fraudsters. But this is never an excuse to stand up for one’s right to choose wisely and defend his vote to the death against cheats out to sabotage the true will of the people, for the price of apathy is to be ruled by evil men.

Guiding Principle:

On the basis of our basic postulate, we formulated a guiding principle to guide the public actions of all candidates in our group who will make it to public office, thus:

1. We recognize that the prices of basic commodities are rising every year due to inflation;

2. We recognize that the income, especially of the lower class of society, has remained stagnant;

3. We recognize that the rising prices of basic commodities and the stagnation of income necessarily and seriously affects the most vulnerable lower class of society;

4. We recognize that in a situation like this, deepening hunger and poverty will necessarily dilute or even remove altogether the people’s will and power to demand economic and political reforms for their benefit; and,

5. We recognize the potential of this scenario to continue in an endless cycle unless the people is afforded a real choice and is able to choose wisely in the only permissible mode to effect change in government, through elections.

Toward this end, we shall endeavour to find ways and means, by executive action or legislative measures, or any other means feasible, to increase the incomes and lower the expenses of the poor family. We shall endeavour to individually and collectively institute long-term effective solutions rather than quick-fix alternatives such as dole-outs.

Detailed Plan of Action:

Guided by the above principle, we shall endeavour to institute a comprehensive education strategy for the poorest families in Biliran as a long term effective solution to arrest the worsening poverty incidence at the quickest possible time:

1. Elementary – All pupils (approximately 26,000) shall continue to receive educational support for at least 2 school years (shoes and school bags).

2. High School – The Free School Bus System shall be fully restored (14 units servicing up to 7,000 students) and will be expanded and upgraded with up to 10 additional units bringing the total of the new system to 24 buses serving up to 10,000 students daily, including multicabs, to service secondary routes including the island of Higatangan.

3. College – We will embark on the most ambitious educational intervention to date in the college level. We estimate that there are roughly 35,000 poor families in Biliran. We will get 1 student per poor family and support them through college at a rate of 10,000 pesos per student per year, preferably in a course of their own choosing. We will start with the first 5,000 grantees on the first year level. We will add 5,000 more grantees every year until the 7th year of the program wherein all 35,000 estimated grantees shall have graduated or are pursuing college degrees. Starting from the 5th year of the program until the 11th year, 5,000 new professionals shall rise from the ranks of the poor families. Provided, however, that the grantees, once they shall have graduated, shall endeavour to find jobs befitting their educational attainment. Thereafter, they shall repay this program by sponsoring the college education of one of their siblings. In this way, we shall be able to swell the ranks of the middle class and reduce in actual and real terms the incidence of poverty by providing at least 2 professionals in each poor family. These program shall transform what otherwise would have been unproductive citizens into a potent economic generator for their respective families.

4. Technical and Vocational Education – We shall endeavour to continue supporting technical and vocational education for those who are like-minded to attain higher levels of productivity through this mode.

5. Strategic Health Initiative – We shall endeavour to restore our original strategic health initiative by reviving our mobile clinic service and adding 2 more units to truly serve the public through regular medical and dental missions at least 3 times a week all year-round in all barangays.

6. Medical Assistance Program – We will revive also our fund allocation to government hospitals to answer for the pressing needs of patients from Biliran.

7. Barangay Infrastructure Program – We will restore the equal distribution of government funds through our fully-funded fully-costed infrastructure program in the barangays at 200,000 per year per barangay. Selection of projects for funding shall always follow our guiding principle of raising incomes and lowering expenses for the family.

8. Other Infrastructure Program – We will endeavour to implement other infrastructure programs through the national government that is most needed by our people, especially in the opening of new roads and creating shortcuts that will save time and money.

9. Livelihood Assistance Program – We shall institute livelihood assistance programs for targeted poor beneficiaries, preferably along sectoral lines and running along the 4Ps project of the national government where feasible.

10. Legislative Agenda –

a. NSU – We shall endeavour to expand and upgrade the facilities of the Naval State University and transform it into a regional education institution by legislative enactment. The NSU shall be our primary partner in our ambitious quest to turn 35,000 poor students into a well-educated workforce. (local bill)

b. National Road Reclassification – We shall endeavour to reclassify existing local roads (especially shortcuts) into national roads so that appropriate upgrades can be instituted for the benefit of the public. (local bill)

c. Labor – We shall endeavour to initiate legislative enactment to amend the Labor Code of the Philippines to put a cap/limit on the working hours (maximum of only 8 hours) of medical interns in all hospitals throughout the Philippines to prevent exploitation and medical accidents arising from unreasonably long hours of internship duties. (national bill)

d. Election – We shall endeavour to make appropriate amendments to the election code to strengthen the integrity of the electoral process and prevent massive voter disenfranchisement and all forms of electoral fraud and manipulation. (national bill)

Poster

Comments