Gov. Edgar Chatto has named his trusted key men and women in the inner core of the executive branch of the provincial capitol. In addition to their major tasks in his administration, they act as the governor's coordinators for specific clusters of the provincial government departments and offices. Topping the list are Provincial Administrator Alfonso Damalerio II, former Maribojoc Vice Mayor Gabino Redulla as executive assistant for internal affairs, and former district congressional chief-of-staff and ex-Board Member Isabelito Tongco as executive assistant for external affairs. Being in the external affairs division, Tongco relates to the people outside the capitol and he should be sure to sustain his “smile department.”

In the legislative Sangguniang Panlalawigan, meanwhile, First District Board Member Cesar Tomas Lopez has been unanimously chosen as the new SP floor leader. Board Members Romulo Cepedoza of the Second District and Godofreda Tirol of the Third District are the assistant floor leaders. In his first weekly convocation program as governor, Chatto named Jerome Maniwang to handle the finance section together with fiscal management consultant Tessie Pernia, the finance think-tank of then Gov. Rene Relampagos who is now the First District congressman. Felix Mejorada heads the administrative section while Liza Quirog, the provincial agriculturist, leads the coordinating unit for the offices attached to the governor's office. Liza Flores is assigned as an executive assistant handling the coordinating unit for special projects. This second Liza who has earned Chattos confidence is a non-government organization (NGO) woman from PROCESS Foundation.

Another executive assistant, Anthony Damalerio, handles the constituency services unit of the governor's office. He is a former top congressional staff of Chatto. The governor declared in the convocation program on Monday that he specially assigned the young Damalerio as the “traffic manager” of the governor's office. Chatto does not want the constituents unguided when they are at capitol looking for concerned departments, offices or their heads. Damalerio is a younger brother of the provincial administrator and new Board Member Abeleon Damalerio. One more executive assistant, former Dauis Mayor Reynaldo Gacayan, takes charge of the local government affairs, including barangay concerns.

DEPARTMENT CLUSTERS

The provincial administrator also acts as the coordinator for the department cluster composed of the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO), Provincial Legal Office (PLO), Human Resource Management and Development Office (HRMDO), and on peace and order concerns. Redulla coordinates for the cluster of the Provincial Engineering Office (PEO), Motor Pool and General Services Office (GSO). Maniwang and Pernia are the cluster coordinators for the Provincial Treasurer's Office (PTO), Provincial Budget Office (PBO) and Provincial Accounting Office (PACCO). Quirog is the coordinator for the cluster of her own Office of the Provincial Agriculture (OPA), Provincial Health Office (PHO), Office of the Provincial Veterinarian (OPV) and Office of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development (OPSWD).

While Quirog remains moved out of her OPA abode for her new sensitive post, her able assistant, Larry Pamugas, takes her place handling the agriculture office. The department cluster coordinators are the governor's point persons, especially on managing comments that need apt decisions and quick responses from the governor. By clustering the departments, Chatto said they can make sure that vital decisions are already studied and reviewed right even in the level of the department heads and the cluster coordinators. Chatto said he will make the governor's office “very, very open to discussions” pursuant to his style of consultative and participatory governance. Also last week, Chatto reiterated the last-minute memorandum advisory of then Gov. Erico Aumentado, now the Second district solon, returning their mother units the employees and personnel reassigned or detailed to other offices. While Chatto is giving flesh and meaning to their original appointments, he would like to evaluate them in what he calls an organizational diagnosis that will check if the said personnel can better function outside their mother offices. (Ven rebo Arigo)