Erico B. Aumentado
Encyclopedia
Erico Boyles Aumentado is a Filipino journalist, a lawyer, and the present solon for 2nd District of Bohol. He is also a former senior provincial board member, provincial vice-governor, congressman, deputy speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives and governor of the province of Bohol
.
as valedictorian.
He graduated Bachelor of Arts in Political Science
in 1960 as magna cum laude and Bachelor of Laws at the University of Bohol
in 1963 as cum laude. While studying as an outstanding student and scholar, he fought for the rights of students in the Visayas. He was also a former campus press editor, champion orator and debater.
, for bringing justice within the reach of the poor.
in 1975. This courageous move earned him the military citation for valor beyond the call of duty.
After then, he was elected Vice Governor of Bohol in 1988-1992. As Vice Governor, he also successfully negotiated with the New People's Army
(NPA) headed by Kumander Vargas in 1990 to withdraw its demands for the Japan
International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to pay the insurgents P7.1 million as access fee for Japan's multi-billion peso projects in Bohol
. This paved the way for the implementation of the Capayas Irrigation Project, Bohol Circumferential Road Improvement Project (BCRIP), Bohol Irrigation Project (BHIP) and the Leyte
-Bohol Interconnection Project (LBIP).
He became representative of the 2nd district of Bohol for three consecutive terms in 1992-2001.His peers at the House of Representatives best remember him for two unprecedented events. First, as Vice Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, he stood for 12 hours to defend the General Appropriations Act of 1999, sometime in October 1998, in what was to be the longest budget defense in the history of Congress. Second, as Chairman of the Committee on Ethics he stood alone to successfully foil a House Resolution asking the Supreme Court
to allow a congressman convicted of statutory rape, to attend the sessions and public committee hearings of the House of Representatives pending the resolution of his case. Aumentado's fearless discourse triggered the withdrawal by about 40 congressmen (out of the 119 signatories) of their signatures, which led to the defeat of the measure on the floor during the marathon debate on the issue in 1999. Philippine Daily Inquirer
columnist Belinda Olivarez-Cunanan, in a rare public commendation for a solon, raved about Erico's valiant efforts.
While at the House of Representatives, he gained membership to various committees such as the Commission on Appointments, Committees on Public Works and Highways, Agriculture, Education, Foreign Affairs, Energy, Transportation and Communications, and was chairman of the Committee on Appropriations, Sub committee on Justice and Constitutional Bodies, Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Moreover, he was elected unopposed by his peers as Deputy Speaker for the Visayas on January 24, 2000 and then as chairman of the 52-man Visayas Bloc. He holds the distinction of being the first Boholano to ever hold these positions. The Visayas Bloc sponsored the multi-billion peso Trans-Visayas Intermodal Transport Network System (Trans-Viz Link) approved by Congress and designated to establish Ro-Ro ports, fast craft services and access highways in the Visayas provinces, cities and municipalities.
As an esteemed member of Congress, he was invited to be one of the keynote speakers during the International Symposium on Human Rights on May 15 to 18, 1993 in Budapest
, Hungary
, and the Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference on March 24 to 30, 1999 in Brussels
, Belgium
. He was also one of the keynote speakers in the 102nd IPU Conference in Berlin
, Germany from October 10 to 16, 1999 and the only ever member of the House of Representatives invited to speak on "Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice and International Drug Control" before the United Nations
General Assembly in New York
, U.S.A. on December 17 to 24, 1999.
He led the Philippine delegation of senators and congressmen to the 2001 ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organization (AIPO) in Singapore
where he delivered the Philippine position on various concerns in Asia including the Spratly Islands
flash points.
He was chosen by the Philippine News Agency as One of the Top 10 Performers in the 10th Congress for filing 133 bills of local and national application. These include the Limited Portability Scheme (RA 7699), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation Act of 1995 (RA 7875), Agricultural Tarrification Act (RA 8178), Social Security Act of 1997 (RA 8282), Official Development Assistance Act of 1998 (RA 8555), GSIS Act of 1997 (RA 8291), Agricultural and Fisheries Modernization Act of 1998 (RA 8435), Home Guaranty Corporation Act of 2000 (RA 8763) and the Fair Election Act (RA 9006), among others.
Aumentado was also cited by then President Fidel V. Ramos
as the "Philippines 2000 Advocate for Bohol’s Development" for securing the approval of flagship projects such as the first phase of BCRIP, LBIP and BHIP, as well as other vital projects for the province amounting to P6.9 billion. He also played a major role in the approval of the P2.38 billion BHIP II, and the P1.4 billion BCRIP II, for funding under the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) 23rd Yen Loan Package. He pushed for the approval of these projects when he represented Congress to the Tokyo Pledging Session on the loan package in April 1999. He then worked for their favorable action by the National Economic Development Authority, the National Irrigation Administration-Department of Agriculture and the Department of Public Works and Highways as project proponents.
Aumentado likewise worked with another Boholano, National Power Corporation (NPC) executive vice president Asisclo Gonzaga, for the implementation of the P2.4-billion LBIP I and the P2.1-billion LBIP II for a power generation of 100 megawatts to spur the economic development of Bohol. The megaproject
s which are under implementation amount to P5.88 billion, or a total of about P12 billion worth of projects he brought to Bohol during his nine-year stint in Congress.
On May 14, 2001, he won landslide victory where he garnered a 39,550-vote lead over then incumbent governor Rene Relampagos
to elevate him to the highest public office in Bohol as provincial governor. He officially assumed office at the Capitol on July 1, 2001.
Today, he is serving as the governor of Bohol for three consecutive terms since 2001. He is also the chairman of both the Regional Development Council and the Regional Tourism Council of Central Visayas, and National President of the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) and the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP), the umbrella organization of the 1.5M local officials of the Philippines, the 1st Boholano ever elected to the position. He was also became chairman of the Central Visayas Regional Development Council after getting overwhelming support from its members. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
later confirmed his appointment to the post. He is also the only governor that served and elected for three consecutive terms as provincial governor of Bohol.
He is now working for the civil works implementation of the JBIC-funded mega projects. He also supervises the completion of the provincial flagship projects in agriculture, eco-tourism and livelihood.
with whom he has eight children and nineteen grandchildren and one great grandchild.
Bohol
Bohol is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of Bohol Island and 75 minor surrounding islands. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. With a land area of and a coastline long, Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines...
.
Education
He finished his elementary education at Ubay Central Elementary School and finished his high School at Holy Child Academy, Ubay, BoholBohol
Bohol is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of Bohol Island and 75 minor surrounding islands. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. With a land area of and a coastline long, Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines...
as valedictorian.
He graduated Bachelor of Arts in Political Science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
in 1960 as magna cum laude and Bachelor of Laws at the University of Bohol
University of Bohol
The University of Bohol or U.B. is a private non-sectarian co-educational institution of higher learning in Tagbilaran City, Bohol, Philippines....
in 1963 as cum laude. While studying as an outstanding student and scholar, he fought for the rights of students in the Visayas. He was also a former campus press editor, champion orator and debater.
Law Profession
When he became a lawyer, he was chosen "Outstanding Lawyer of 1974" by the Citizens Legal Aid Society of the Philippines (CLASP), headed by then Senator Salvador LaurelSalvador Laurel
Salvador Roman Hidalgo Laurel , also known as Doy Laurel, was Vice President of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992 under Corazon Aquino. Before that, he briefly served as Aquino's first Prime Minister from February 25 to March 25 of 1986...
, for bringing justice within the reach of the poor.
Public service
He was elected Provincial Board Member in 1967-1980 and 1984-1986. As a Senior Provincial Board Member, he went out of his way to negotiate for the surrender of the Rizalian rebels in their mountain citadel of Lundag, Pilar, BoholPilar, Bohol
Pilar is a 4th class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 27,276 people.-Barangays:Pilar is politically subdivided into 21 barangays.* Aurora* Bagacay* Bagumbayan* Bayong...
in 1975. This courageous move earned him the military citation for valor beyond the call of duty.
After then, he was elected Vice Governor of Bohol in 1988-1992. As Vice Governor, he also successfully negotiated with the New People's Army
New People's Army
The New People's Army is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines. It was formed on March 29, 1969. The Maoist NPA conducts its armed guerrilla struggle based on the strategical line of 'protracted people's war'.The NPA exacts so called "revolutionary taxes" from business owners...
(NPA) headed by Kumander Vargas in 1990 to withdraw its demands for the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to pay the insurgents P7.1 million as access fee for Japan's multi-billion peso projects in Bohol
Bohol
Bohol is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of Bohol Island and 75 minor surrounding islands. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. With a land area of and a coastline long, Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines...
. This paved the way for the implementation of the Capayas Irrigation Project, Bohol Circumferential Road Improvement Project (BCRIP), Bohol Irrigation Project (BHIP) and the Leyte
Leyte
Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...
-Bohol Interconnection Project (LBIP).
He became representative of the 2nd district of Bohol for three consecutive terms in 1992-2001.His peers at the House of Representatives best remember him for two unprecedented events. First, as Vice Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, he stood for 12 hours to defend the General Appropriations Act of 1999, sometime in October 1998, in what was to be the longest budget defense in the history of Congress. Second, as Chairman of the Committee on Ethics he stood alone to successfully foil a House Resolution asking the Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the Philippines
The Supreme Court of the Philippines is the Philippines' highest judicial court, as well as the court of last resort. The court consists of 14 Associate Justices and 1 Chief Justice...
to allow a congressman convicted of statutory rape, to attend the sessions and public committee hearings of the House of Representatives pending the resolution of his case. Aumentado's fearless discourse triggered the withdrawal by about 40 congressmen (out of the 119 signatories) of their signatures, which led to the defeat of the measure on the floor during the marathon debate on the issue in 1999. Philippine Daily Inquirer
Philippine Daily Inquirer
The Philippine Daily Inquirer, popularly known as the Inquirer, is the most widely read broadsheet newspaper in the Philippines, with a daily circulation of 260,000 copies. It is one of the Philippines' newspapers of record...
columnist Belinda Olivarez-Cunanan, in a rare public commendation for a solon, raved about Erico's valiant efforts.
While at the House of Representatives, he gained membership to various committees such as the Commission on Appointments, Committees on Public Works and Highways, Agriculture, Education, Foreign Affairs, Energy, Transportation and Communications, and was chairman of the Committee on Appropriations, Sub committee on Justice and Constitutional Bodies, Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Moreover, he was elected unopposed by his peers as Deputy Speaker for the Visayas on January 24, 2000 and then as chairman of the 52-man Visayas Bloc. He holds the distinction of being the first Boholano to ever hold these positions. The Visayas Bloc sponsored the multi-billion peso Trans-Visayas Intermodal Transport Network System (Trans-Viz Link) approved by Congress and designated to establish Ro-Ro ports, fast craft services and access highways in the Visayas provinces, cities and municipalities.
As an esteemed member of Congress, he was invited to be one of the keynote speakers during the International Symposium on Human Rights on May 15 to 18, 1993 in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, and the Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference on March 24 to 30, 1999 in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. He was also one of the keynote speakers in the 102nd IPU Conference in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany from October 10 to 16, 1999 and the only ever member of the House of Representatives invited to speak on "Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice and International Drug Control" before the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
General Assembly in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, U.S.A. on December 17 to 24, 1999.
He led the Philippine delegation of senators and congressmen to the 2001 ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organization (AIPO) in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
where he delivered the Philippine position on various concerns in Asia including the Spratly Islands
Spratly Islands
The Spratly Islands are a group of more than 750 reefs, islets, atolls, cays and islands in the South China Sea. The archipelago lies off the coasts of the Philippines and Malaysia , about one third of the way from there to southern Vietnam. They comprise less than four square kilometers of land...
flash points.
He was chosen by the Philippine News Agency as One of the Top 10 Performers in the 10th Congress for filing 133 bills of local and national application. These include the Limited Portability Scheme (RA 7699), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation Act of 1995 (RA 7875), Agricultural Tarrification Act (RA 8178), Social Security Act of 1997 (RA 8282), Official Development Assistance Act of 1998 (RA 8555), GSIS Act of 1997 (RA 8291), Agricultural and Fisheries Modernization Act of 1998 (RA 8435), Home Guaranty Corporation Act of 2000 (RA 8763) and the Fair Election Act (RA 9006), among others.
Aumentado was also cited by then President Fidel V. Ramos
Fidel V. Ramos
Fidel "Eddie" Valdez Ramos , popularly known as FVR, was the 12th President of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. During his six years in office, Ramos was widely credited and admired by many for revitalizing and renewing international confidence in the Philippine economy.Prior to his election as...
as the "Philippines 2000 Advocate for Bohol’s Development" for securing the approval of flagship projects such as the first phase of BCRIP, LBIP and BHIP, as well as other vital projects for the province amounting to P6.9 billion. He also played a major role in the approval of the P2.38 billion BHIP II, and the P1.4 billion BCRIP II, for funding under the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) 23rd Yen Loan Package. He pushed for the approval of these projects when he represented Congress to the Tokyo Pledging Session on the loan package in April 1999. He then worked for their favorable action by the National Economic Development Authority, the National Irrigation Administration-Department of Agriculture and the Department of Public Works and Highways as project proponents.
Aumentado likewise worked with another Boholano, National Power Corporation (NPC) executive vice president Asisclo Gonzaga, for the implementation of the P2.4-billion LBIP I and the P2.1-billion LBIP II for a power generation of 100 megawatts to spur the economic development of Bohol. The megaproject
Megaproject
A megaproject is an extremely large-scale investment project. Megaprojects are typically defined as costing more than US$1 billion and attracting a lot of public attention because of substantial impacts on communities, environment, and budgets. Megaprojects can also be defined as "initiatives that...
s which are under implementation amount to P5.88 billion, or a total of about P12 billion worth of projects he brought to Bohol during his nine-year stint in Congress.
On May 14, 2001, he won landslide victory where he garnered a 39,550-vote lead over then incumbent governor Rene Relampagos
Rene Relampagos
Rene Lopez Relampagos is a Filipino politician. He is currently a member of the House of Representatives of the Philippines...
to elevate him to the highest public office in Bohol as provincial governor. He officially assumed office at the Capitol on July 1, 2001.
Today, he is serving as the governor of Bohol for three consecutive terms since 2001. He is also the chairman of both the Regional Development Council and the Regional Tourism Council of Central Visayas, and National President of the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) and the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP), the umbrella organization of the 1.5M local officials of the Philippines, the 1st Boholano ever elected to the position. He was also became chairman of the Central Visayas Regional Development Council after getting overwhelming support from its members. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a Filipino politician who served as the 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010, as the 12th Vice President of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, and is currently a member of the House of Representatives representing the 2nd District of Pampanga...
later confirmed his appointment to the post. He is also the only governor that served and elected for three consecutive terms as provincial governor of Bohol.
He is now working for the civil works implementation of the JBIC-funded mega projects. He also supervises the completion of the provincial flagship projects in agriculture, eco-tourism and livelihood.
Personal life
Erico was orphaned at eight years old by his father's death, Erico learned early on the value of hard work and self-reliance. Aumentado is married to Peregrina Adlaon Cabagnot of Sevilla, BoholSevilla, Bohol
Sevilla is a 5th class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 11,289 people. In all probability, this town was named after the Andalusian city of Seville...
with whom he has eight children and nineteen grandchildren and one great grandchild.
Sources
- http://www.bohol.gov.ph/govinactn.html
- http://www.i-site.ph/Databases/LGUs/Governors/2001-2004/Visayas/personal/aumentado-personal.html
- http://www.boholinvest.com/?action=search&module=searchmodule&search_string=erico
- http://filipinonews.angbahaynijuan.com/labels/bohol.html
- http://www.boholchronicle.com/2008/sep/28/comm5.htm