BOTOLAN, Zambales — Reelected Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. has pledged to continue the development of Zambales and bring it to its fullest potential under his leadership.
Ebdane, together with reelected Vice Gov. Jaqueline Rose Khonghun, took their oath of office before Judge Santiago Beltran Jr. of the Regional Trial Court Branch 69 and 71, while the elected members of the Sangguniang Panglalawigan of Zambales and 2nd District Rep. Doris E. Maniquiz, took their oath of office before Judge Maribel Mariano Beltran of RTC Branch 13 at the Botolan Peoples Plaza here on June 30.
“Fifteen years ago, we courageously broke through our comfort zone, pushed our boundaries and stepped into unchartered territory with conviction. We made bolder choices and took the cudgels to stand by our vision even when the path forward wasn’t clear at all,” Ebdane said in his inaugural address.
“There is no better way to thank you all and celebrate our victory than coming together here. To me, this term is more than a continuation, it’s marking the continuation of my chapter of my service as your governor,” he said.
“Today, we have a deeper mission ahead of us: to be stewards of hope and guardians of trust, and together, forge a shared future for our province,” Ebdane added.
Among Ebdane’s achievements anchored in services, driven by excellence specifically on the following systems:
On health: “We have been continuously improving our healthcare system by employing more healthcare specialists, upgrading our hospitals and our facilities.”
On education: “We have expanded our educational assistance program through ‘Handog Edukasyon’ while currently strengthening our strategic partnership with our provincial educational institutions.”
On agriculture and fisheries: “We have initiated the founding of the Zambales Green Mango Valley, along with the Zambales Maritime Development Council.”
On infrastructure: “We invested in infrastructure development and prioritized accessible, high-impact projects including roads, schools, and other government facilities.”
These included the provincial hospital, the Zambales Sports Complex, and various government buildings that were started during his second term of office in 2013-2016.
On social services: “We placed the highest value on preserving our people’s dignity by expanding social service programs, including livelihood support, agricultural grants, medical and health initiatives, and financial assistance, particularly for our indigent constituents.”
On governance: “We institutionalized transparency, digitized property taxation, and positioned Zambales as a model of fiscal independence.”
“Over the years, we came to understand that effective governance rests on three pillars: Resources, Processes and Priorities. In our hand lies the future of Zambales, and as we lead tomorrow today, we need to be bolder in our actions and keep our momentum aligned with the pace of change,” Ebdane added.
“Kaakibat ng tiwalang inyong ipinagkaloob ay ang isang malinaw at matinding hamon: gumawa ng makabuluhang pagbabago para sa kapakanan ng bawat Zambaleno,” he said.
“Choosing to serve our province and our people has been the most important decision of my life, one that holds with deep pride and purpose. We shall continue to reach the summit of success. Our greatest work lies ahead, and it’s urging us to roll our sleeves up again. It’s time to lead beyond the edge!” Ebdane concluded.
