SUMMARY OF NOMINATION FOR 2009 SEARCH FOR TOCP

SUMMARY OF NOMINATION FOR 2009 SEARCH FOR TOCP

Name and Position of Nominee:

EDWIN JADULCO PIANO

Olongapo City

Councilor, (On 3^rd consecutive term)

Website: www.TOCP.SANGUNIAN.com

Major Accomplishments:

a. As Chairman of the Committee on Labor and Employment, he crafted ordinances to establish skills training centers and personally provided welding skills training to 9,712 unemployed and out-of-school youth at minimal cost to the government due to an innovative approach using the “virtual welder trainor” which he devised. He helped find employment for 8,802 of them, thereby providing economic security and enhancing the lives of thousands of families not only in the city but nationwide as well.

b. Authored Information Communication Technology (ICT) - related legislations which ended the monopoly of one telecom provider in Olongapo City, promoted competition, improved service, and brought about competitive rates; eliminated long distance charges for phone calls between Olongapo City, Zambales and Subic Bay Freeport.

c. Authored legislation that computerized city government transactions with the public, thereby improving the delivery of public service. Also, created www.sangunian.com with its full listings of City Ordinances and Sanggunian Resolutions starting from 1959 up to the present, a first in the Philippines.

d. Authored legislation creating the City Telecoms Board and regulating the setting up of telecom cell sites in the city, thereby promoting public welfare and increasing city revenues.

e. Authored legislation and exerted extra efforts to improve the quality of education and raise the status of Olongapo Community College, thereby easing the financial burden of poor students and their families.

f. Consistently authored and sponsored the most number of quality legislations (259 Resolutions and 35 Ordinances) resulting in the improvement of the quality of life of his constituents, and the progress of his community and country in general.

g. Heads Guam Task Force which expects employ thousands of Olongapo’s skilled workers as a result of the impending transfer of US military facility from Okinawa, Japan to Guam; heads Boy Scout of the Philippines, Olongapo Chapter, which consistently emerges as champions during jamboree-on-the-air (JOTA) and jamboree-on-the-internet (JOTI) international competitions; Creator/webmaster/editor of Olongapo-Subic Bay On-line News and Jobs.SubicBay.Ph; reports to his constituents on the latest events in Olongapo and discussions in the sanggunian session hall during his regular weekly radio program over DWGO, 1008khz AM Band

In summary, his greatest accomplishment is his effective use of his legislative sagacity and skills in crafting timely and significant laws that respond to the needs of the community; and his willingness to work even beyond the confines of the legislative halls to make sure that these laws make their intended positive impact on the lives of the people.

FULL SUPPORT: Olongapo City Mayor James Gordon, Jr., Zambales Vice-Governor Anne Marie Gordon, the Sangguniang Panlungsod, NGOs and local Jaycees represented by Atty. Lito Orozco for JCI-Olongapo and JC Senator Rudy Dalluay for JCI-Subic gives a "thumbs-up" sign showing support to Councilor Edwin J. Piano on his nomination to the 2009 Search for the Outstanding Councilors of the Philippines

BASIS OF NOMINATION

HON. EDWIN J. PIANO

OLONGAPO CITY COUNCILOR

THE SEARCH FOR 2009

THE OUTSTANDING COUNCILOR OF THE PHILIPPINES

BASIS OF NOMINATION

A former Subic Bay employee who championed the rights of his fellow Filipino workers, Edwin Piano is one of the pioneer volunteers who protected and preserved Subic Naval Base when the Americans left seventeen years ago. He was one of the pillars who fought for the creation of the Subic Bay Freeport and eventually served as Administrative Officer of the Transportation Department of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).

First elected into office as city councilor in 2001 he was voted back by the local electorate in 2004 and 2007, proof that Olongapo residents are satisfied with his performance. Mr. Piano displayed an uncanny ability to detect the needs of the times and demonstrated ability to respond in ways that will benefit his constituents.

His concern and his vision for the welfare of his city and its people are clearly manifested in the Resolutions and Ordinances he filed in the Sangguniang Panlungsod, whether principally-authored by him or co-authored with a colleague. Mr. Piano presently holds the record of having authored the most number of significant Resolutions and Ordinances in Olongapo City Council. He also have the most number of committee chairmanship such as ways and means, telecommunications, organization development and personnel matters, labour and employment, and information technology. All stipulated under Resolution No.3 Series of 2009.

Believing that a Councilor’s duties go beyond mere legislative work, Mr. Piano has proven that he is a hands-on public servant by assuming responsibilities that have direct impact on the welfare of his community.

Among the pertinent Resolutions, Ordinances and initiatives introduced by Mr. Piano to improve the lives of city residents and make governance more effective, are the following:

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

“One Province, One Rate” Policy. He was responsible for the passage of a telecommunications resolution that enjoined telecommunications firms to adopt a “one province-one rate” policy that removed undue long-distance call charges. The un-relentless persuasion he applied to the telecom firms paved the way to adopt the policy. This means that residents of Olongapo, Zambales and Subic Bay Freeport can now make province wide landline or LL plus calls minus the extra charges.

2005 R – 11 - A RESOLUTION REQUIRING IMPLEMENTATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF ONE RATE, ONE PROVINCE POLICY AS MANDATED BY THE NATIONAL TELECOMMUNCIATIONS COMMISSION (NTC) MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 14-7-2000 TO PUBLIC TELECOMMUNCIATION ENTITIES CONCERNED

The resolution led to the deregulation of the city’s telecommunications sector and ended the long-time monopoly of existing provider who capitalized on the exclusivity clause of their permit to operate in the area. As a result of this resolution, new major telecom players such as Globe Innove, Digitel, PLDT, Smart, SunCell, and others expressed interests in putting-up their businesses in the city. This augured well for the establishment of Call Centers which for the longest time have shield away from operating in Olongapo-Subic because of its non-compliance to the redundancy requirement. This also paved the way for a free choice of service providers to both business sector and the consumers. To date, four Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) have registered in the Freeport with major BPOs such as Sutherland Global Services expected to start operation by November of this year.

Kagawad Piano (third from right) poses with the executives of Sutherland Global Services. His authored resolution paves the way for the said American Telecommunication firm to establish business in Olongapo-Subic.

Subic-Clark Interconnection

2009 R – 29 – A RESOLUTION ENDORSING THE INTERCONNECTION OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS FACILITIES OF SUBIC-CLARK-TARLAC GROWTH CORRIDOR.

2009 R - 116 - A RESOLUTION ENJOINING ALL TELECOM SERVICE PROVIDERS IN OLONGAPO CITY, SUBIC BAY FREEPORT AND ZAMBALES TO IMMEDIATELY IMPLEMENT THE NATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION COMMISSION MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR 09-07-2007 OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE INTERCONNECTION OF LOCAL EXCHANGE CARRIERS.

As part of the Central Luzon Growth Triangle, both Subic and Clark are envisioned to complement each other. Since roads such as the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway and other linkages between the two special economic zones are being built, telecommunication facilities should likewise follow suit to facilitate transactions. With this objective, Mr. Piano authored a resolution whose intend is for the removal of additional charges on phone calls to and from Clark and Subic. This will enhance the flow of communication between investors from both sides minus the extra costs.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Through legislation and actual implementation, Mr. Piano has harnessed the benefits of Information Technology for a faster, easier access to data information, and more efficient conduct of transactions with the city government.

Kagawad Piano shows to his colleagues and city department heads how a computerization project will efficiently benefit local government transactions.

Computerization System – At this modern age of computers, he pushed for legislation to automate government transactions and records. The computerization of Unified Land Information System, Business Permit and Licensing, Real Property Tax Administration, Public Utilities, Hospital Information System and the Document Tracking System were all implemented during his watch as Chairman of the Committee on Information Technology (CIT) and because of the city mayor’s trust and confidence to Mr. Piano, he was appointed as Chairman of the Information Technology Board thru Executive Order 84 series of 2004 which gave him executive power to oversee the computerization projects. This is intended to effectively and efficiently facilitate doing business with the city government and ensure that records are properly documented, safe and easy to access when needed. This resulted to faster service, less inconvenience for transacting residents and streamlined the processing of documents.

CONTRIBUTION TO EDUCATION

In 2004, Councilor Piano authored Ordinance No. 36 which established the legal basis for the creation and operation of the city college which was named Gordon College.

Today, the school is a full blown college offering a number of courses the standard of which is comparable, if not better, than those in Metro Manila. Parents no longer have to worry being separated from their children only to study some place else and, needless to say, their budgetary concerns have been eased.

Accreditation of Gordon College’s Nursing and Midwifery School, Mr. Piano worked for the accreditation of the Nursing & Midwifery School of the city college with the Commission on Higher Education and the Association of Local Colleges and Universities (ALCU). As the most senior member (since 2001) of the Board of Trustees of the said college, his aim was to raise its learning standard so that students in Olongapo who could not afford to stay and study in Manila may receive the same quality of education associated with universities and colleges in Manila.

He likewise supported the computerization of the school from internet connections for use of the students to the registrar’s records and every facet of the institution’s transactions and academic operations.

Mr. Piano receives a Plaque of Recognition from Dr. Arlida Pame for contributing to the growth and development of the college. Gordon College acknowledges Mr. Piano’s quest for excellence in education. The tribute was given on 20 February 2009 during Gordon College 10th Foundation Day.

Information-Dissemination

Transparency in Sangguniang Panlungsod

Mr. Piano believes that information should be readily available to the public so he took it upon himself, at no cost to the government, to undertake the computer archiving of City Ordinances and Sanggunian Resolutions starting from when Olongapo was created in 1959 to the present. Now, students, researchers and other interested parties can easily have access to very important documents even in the comfort of their home, school or office, without going to the City Hall or Public Library. The http://www.sangunian.com/ with its full listings of the city’s ordinances and sanggunian resolutions, and its on-line availability of other pertinent documents, is a first among local government units. A thorough utilization of existing search engines will reveal that this project has not been fully replicated, although some have already started but not an LGU has gone to the full listing made by Mr. Piano for the City of Olongapo. Mr. Piano is actually offering to share this system to any LGU who is interested to implement the same and do away with exorbitant fees that contractors will charge the LGU to implement electronic legislation (eLegis) or Legislative Management Information System (LegMIS).

Three-in-One ID System using the Mobitron. An identification card installed with a built-in tracking system that can be used as valid ID by city residents such as drivers, vendors, government employees and other sectors who want to avail of it. This was put into use by the city government through a resolution initiated by Mr. Piano. Once swiped into a Mobitron device, it transmits information to a computer regarding, for example, how many traffic violations a driver has been ticketed for; or whether one has availed of a particular government service. The ID card also serves as a daily time record for government employees.

2007 R – 75 - A RESOLUTION RATIFYING THE MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT(MOA) ENTERED INTO BY AND BETWEEN THE CITY GOVERNMENT OF OLONGAPO REPRESENTED BY MAYOR JAMES GORDON, JR. WITH JIMEC GLOBAL HOLDINGS INC. REPRESENTED BY ITS PRESIDENT ARABELLA F. ULAYE REGARDING THE PTC2S-PUBLIC TRANSPORT COLOR CODED SCHEME, PATS-PUBLIC ASSISTANCE TRACKING SYSTEM, VMS-VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.

INCREASED CITY REVENUE

The Revenue Code
http://sangunian.com/Olongapo_City_Revenue_Code.html

2007 O – 64 - AN ORDINANCE REPEALING ORDINANCE NO. 81, SERIES OF 2002 AND PROVIDING FOR THE “OLONGAPO CITY 2007 REVENUE CODE”

To achieve development while in financially difficult times, Mr. Piano made major changes to the city’s revenue code which would make doing business for Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) easier without sacrificing the services that the city can give to its constituents where the funding source is from the city’s regulatory fees.

Material Recovery Ordinance. When Mt. Pinatubo erupted in 1991, it left in its wake tons of volcanic debris that covered the surrounding mountains of Olongapo which cascaded into the rivers during rainy seasons in the form of lahar. This caused river silts and clogged the city’s drainage system and eventually spawned massive flooding in the low-lying areas. The city used to spend millions of pesos to dredge the rivers and haul off volumes of lahar elsewhere.

To avoid draining the city’s resources, Mr. Piano authored an environment-friendly, non-destructive quarrying ordinance allowing the private sector to collect accumulated volcanic sand for use as construction material from the city’s rivers for a fee. Aside from creating an additional source of revenue for the city government, the project minimized flooding while at the same time opened possible business opportunities.

MASS LAND TITLING. Councilor Piano being a member of the Mass Land Titling Taskforce assisted his constituents to realize their dream of having the land where they are living become officially theirs and documented by a land title, since, when the project started, only 10% of the city’s land is titled. At the same time, the city government also gained from the sales tax and related fees that people paid to formalize their ownership of the land.

2006 R – 224 - A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MAYOR TO ENTER INTO A MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT WITH THE WINNING BIDDER OF THE GIS, LAND MAPPING AND OTHER REVENUE GENERATING ACTIVITIES FOR THE CITY

2006 R – 196 - A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MAYOR TO ENTER INTO A MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT AND MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH LAND ADMINISTRATION AGENCIES SUCH AS REGISTER OF DEEDS, DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES, NATIONAL MAPPING RESOURCE INFORMATION AUTHORITY AND NON GOVERNMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS SUCH AS GEODETIC ENGINEERS ASSOCIATION, SAMAHANG BUKLOD NAYON, INC., SAMAHANG PINAGPALANG KOMUNIDAD NG OLONGAPO, INC. AND OTHER SIMILAR ORGANIZATIONS RELATIVE TO THE CITY’S APPLICATION FOR A GRANT WITH THE INNOVATION SUPPORT FUND (ISF) UNDER THE LAND ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT PROJECT PHASE 2 (LAMP2) FUNDED BY THE AUSTRALIAN AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (AUSAID)

ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLY REVENUE CODE

Environment provisions were aptly included in the code which envisions a future if Olongapo being one with nature.

ORDINANCE NO. 45, SERIES OF 2005
TITLE: AN ORDINANCE PRESCRIBING FEES FOR QUARRYING OPERATINGS AND RELATED ACTIVITIES THERETO.

The purpose of this Ordinance is to:

a) Regulate quarrying/dredging operations in the territorial jurisdiction of the City of Olongapo and charge just, reasonable and affordable administrative, processing, inspection and monitoring fees to sustain effective implementation of this Ordinance;

b) Rehabilitate the city's river system;

c) Partially solve flooding problem in low lying areas;

d) Create additional roads to provide alternative access for residents near the river systems thereby easing traffic congestion in its peripheral roads; and

e) Resolve the perennial spontaneous combustion and fly/mosquito infestations problem in the city's landfill.

TAX ORDINANCE NO. 22 SERIES OF 2007
This Ordinance shall be known as the “Olongapo City 2007 Revenue Code”

Section 3D.10 Operation Cost - The cost of material extraction when the city’s dredging machine is utilized will be charged at a rate of actual operational cost plus the depreciation cost of the machine including its peripherals and accompanying buck hoe, loaders and dump trucks if utilized for the operation. The rates under this provision shall be based on the equipment rental standard used for government projects.

Revenue generated from this section shall be used to maintain the embankment of the city’s river system.

Telecom Board. Mr. Piano was the principal author of City Ordinance No. 24 Series of 2004 which created the Telecom Board. The body is tasked to monitor the construction of Telecom Cell Sites within the jurisdiction of Olongapo and the issuance of related permits. When before, Telecom companies just built cell sites without paying regulatory fees to the city government, now they are required to do so and are obliged to settle local fees and taxes of existing infrastructures before getting the nod to proceed with the project. This gave the city government substantial source of revenue.

HEALTH CARE

2007 O - 46 - AN ORDINANCE PROVIDING FOR ANNUAL PHYSICAL AND DENTAL CHECK-UP OF OLONGAPO CITY GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES

Aware of the meagre salaries of ordinary government employees, Mr. Piano pushed for a legislation providing for a free annual medical/physical and dental check ups to all city government employees, including those with temporary status and on contractual basis. This lead to the city giving free medical and dental to jeepney/tricycle drivers and teachers.

SKILLS TRAINING and EMPLOYMENT GENERATION

While outside of the confines of the session hall, Mr. Piano continues to serve the people of Olongapo in various capacities. A tireless and dedicated public servant, he shares his expertise and ideas to whatever task is at hand to improve the lives of his constituents and help them realize their aspirations.

Being a Human Resource Development Specialist, Mr. Piano wholeheartedly shared his God-given gift to improve and uplift the lives of his constituents by giving them the required knowledge, skills and ability to qualify for jobs or pursue their ambition and have decent future in their chosen career.

Skills Training Program – Mr. Piano heads the Olongapo Skills Training Center which trains the unemployed and out-of-school youth in various skills and turn them into productive citizens who are globally competitive by equipping them with the requisites for landing jobs in the various companies and locators in Olongapo and the Subic Bay Freeport as well as overseas. Based on manpower computerized tracking system that the Center staff created, more than 7,000 workers have found gainful employment in welding, shipbuilding, computer, including languages (Korean, German). Majority of those who completed training as welders are now currently working at Hanjin Shipbuilding Company, one of the world’s largest shipbuilding companies which has its shipyard in Subic.

Kagawad Piano gives hands-on training to participants of the Skills Training Development Program.

ABS CBN NEWS features the preparation of Olongapo for the Guam Buildup project.

Jobs Fair – Mr. Piano created the On-Line Jobs Matching Service http://www.jobs.subicbay.ph/ and/or http://www.jobs.olongapo-subic.com/ where job seekers in the city can find a list of job openings and mailing lists. It also provides useful data and private access to branch exchanges.

Councilor Edwin Piano tours SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza and Olongapo City Mayor Bong Gordon to the www.jobs.subicbay.ph website while job seekers line-up at the on-line registration booth during the job fair.

INNOVATION – With the task of training thousands of youths but with meager funding, Mr. Piano needed to come up with the solution of imparting the all important skill in welding: the eye – hand coordination. A steady hand is an ultimate necessity if a worker intends to produce high quality welds. But the prohibitive cost of consumable welding electrodes, mild steel plates for practice and the cost of electricity could drain funding and eventually stop the training program, a situation more costly and will deprive those who wish to learn the trade and thus, making their dreams of becoming a shipbuilder unrealized.

The opportunity is within reach but the stumbling block appears insurmountable that as a leader, Mr. Piano must think fast and come up with an effective yet cost-efficient solution to the problem.

He utilized today’s latest tool to look for solution… the internet, and learned that advanced nations are now using a VIRTUAL WELDER TRAINOR. An offshoots of flight simulators which already saved hundreds of lives not to mention immeasurable cost savings to both the airline industry and the military.

But the Virtual Welding Trainor invented in the U.S.A. was so expensive that only the U.S. Navy and U.S. Army were able to afford it.

Mr. Piano studied the concept behind the US invented virtual welder trainor and using his long years of experience in the trade (himself started as a welder in the Ship Repair Facilities (SRF) of the former US Naval Base), adopted a local version at minimal cost but with the same effectiveness as proven by the more than eight thousand trainees who have used it.

Photo shows Mr. Piano’s innovative approach to developing the eye-hand coordination of trainees: The Virtual Welding Trainor. It saved the government hundreds of thousands of pesos because it does not use consumable electrode and metal plates. It also runs in 12V DC power thereby eliminating the humongous electricity consumption cost.

But it was not only savings that made Mr. Piano’s invention worthwhile, the trainees were able to practice as long as they like minus the hazards of smoke, burns, and eye strain. It even made the training enjoyable so that after they had gained the skill and confidence, proceeding to the actual arc welding became easier.

Photo shows job fair participants trying out the Virtual Welder Trainor. It’s always a big hit during jobs fair that it made job seekers realize that welding trade is not as hard as they first thought; thereby allowing them to enroll in the free training program and becoming shipbuilders themselves. Videos of this invention can be seen at you tube and in ABS-CBN channel 2 and ANC News where it was featured.

TESDA Kabalikat Awardee. His effective management of the City Skills Training Program has been acknowledged by TESDA. Mr. Piano was chosen as a regional and provincial winner and was a runner-up for the national category.

Guam Task Force – As head of the Guam Task Force, Mr. Piano closely coordinates with his Guam counterparts regarding the employment of Olongapo’s skilled workers to that part of American territory. It is expected to require huge manpower for the expansion of the U.S. military facility there which was brought about by the transfer of the U.S. base from Okinawa, Japan to Guam.

To date, Mr. Piano’s office is deluged with applications from former base workers who will be given hiring priority in the ongoing Guam build-up while fresh graduates from the City Skills Training Program are being prepared for deployment next year.

A website http://www.guam-ofw.com/ and a mailing list were created by Mr. Piano to regularly update those who are interested in this Guam project. An on-line registration was created benefiting applicants from far-flung places.

Councilor Piano (right) and Mayor Gordon meet with Guam military officials and Governor Felix Camacho (far left) to discuss manpower requirements for the Guam Buildup.

The Philippine Team for the Guam Buildup poses for a picture. The team includes Consul General Palala and heads of DOLE, POEA, OWWA, TESDA and Olongapo LGU

Photos show Mayor Gordon and Councilor Piano huddle with Senator Guthertz (right photo) and Dante Jimenez (left photo) during the Guam Industry Forum last April 24 to May 1, 2009. The Forum tackles the impending transfer of US Military Base from Okinawa, Japan to Guam, USA. Around 8,000 US Marines and 10,000 dependents have to be relocated to Guam by 2014. In addition, US Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and other armed services together with their dependents and additional personnel will also be deployed. A $20B funding is reportedly allocated for the build-up. Around 20,000 workers are needed to accomplish the task.


NGOs and Other Important Activities/Achievements

Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP). Mr. Piano is an active member of the BSP and is the Vice Chairman of the city’s James L. Gordon Council. He teaches young scouts in Olongapo on proper radio communications and thus, BSP Olongapo consistently emerges as champions during jamborees-on-the-air (JOTA) and jamborees-on-the-internet (JOTI). Mr. Piano is able to maintain regular global linkages with other youth and scouts.

Councilor Piano with the Boys Scout of the Philippines., Olongapo Chapter.

MOA Signing to Save the Environment with Thailand Scouts

Radio Club as Volunteer Workers. As director of the Ulo ng Apo Radio Club www.DX3UNA.com and Chairman of Olongapo Telecom Board, Mr. Piano has tapped its members to get involved in civic activities. Through radio communication, Radio Club members relay and exchange information and situationers in times of accidents and calamities and alert authorities on the matter.

The communication group has been of valuable service by helping authorities track down on where assistance is needed, which place needs evacuation or who needs rescuing. Mr. Piano is at the forefront of such humanitarian efforts.

BARANGAY CONSULTATION. Mr. Piano conducts regular visits to the city’s 17 barangays to check the implementation of city ordinances, whether these are working according to the legislators’ intention or there are flaws that needed amendment. At the same time, he also hears out the problems and grievances of residents and later tries to find ways by which the city government could act on the matter.

Public consultation being a major part of legislation and public service, Councilor Piano sees to it that he personally talks to his constituents to give them relevant informations and hear their requests and opinions on matters at hand. Photos show Councilor Piano with barangay officials and residents.

REGULAR RADIO REPORTING. To further ensure that his constituents are updated on what is happening in the Session Hall, Mr. Piano partnered with a local radio station DWGO, 1008AM, in order to provide a regular program which tackles newly passed resolutions and ordinances. The program gives the populace a chance for their positions on the matters being deliberated at the Sanggunian to be heard and given consideration before its passage. He created a website www.oictv.blogspot.com where all discussions in the said radio program are saved, ready for review in case his constituents missed the live radio report.

Issues being tackled in the sanggunian and recently passed resolutions and ordinances are being discussed regularly by Councilor Piano at local radio station to ensure that residents are aware of the developments in the city. He created an online virtual television channel http://oictv.blogspot.com/ using youtube and onetruemedia so that those who missed the live report ca still be updated using the internet.

ON-LINE NEWS. Olongapo Subic Bay News. As webmaster of a local on-line news http://www.olongapo-subic.com/ and http://www.news.subicbay.ph%2Cmr/. Piano provides information on what is happening in and around Olongapo City, this is updated daily or as the news happens. He also created an Internet-based Community Television www.oictv.blogspot.com where videos of what’s happening in the city can be viewed. An on-line discussion board ensures that what the people wanted to say is being heard.

ON-GOING PROJECTS

EDUCATION AND MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT: Audio and Video Streaming and a Campus Radio to continue and enhance cyber-skills-development, foreign language training, and open college system. Cost of Project P40,000.

ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION

An Ordinance creating Waterways Monitoring Task Force which will advocate preservation of rivers and bays both in Olongapo and Subic.

Authored 2009 R – 94 - A Resolution enjoining LGUs, SBMA and NGOs around Subic Bay to participate and support the creation of Subic Bay Waterways Council to monitor rivers and major drainage outfalls going to Subic Bay, and to make people realized that Subic Bay’s pristine water is seriously threatened by the community’s continuing indifference, dumping waste in their localities.

Equipment needed: Water pollution monitoring devices (Turbidimeter, pH Meter, Fecal Coliform kits, etc). Seed money: P60,000.
http://www.epa.gov/OWOW/monitoring/ ,http://www.crcwater.org/wqmanual.html

In view of the aforementioned accomplishments and on-going projects as Councilor with a string of Ordinances that led to the empowerment of his constituents through employment, education, information technology development, health care coverage and the removal of constraints to enjoy the benefits of modern telecommunications by abolishing monopoly in the local telecommunications sector;

In lieu of his efforts that paved the way for more efficient and transparent transactions between the city government and the taxpayers, generating additional revenue for the city coffers, streamlining the bureaucracy and on-line information dissemination as well as creating an accessible archive for public documents;

For bringing the government closer to the people by regularly conducting dialogues with the local populace and acting on their complaints and making sure that pertinent ordinances are attuned with the needs of his constituents as what councilors ought to do;

For living up to the ideals of a public servant who goes beyond his mandated duties to further serve the interest and welfare of his community;

We hereby submit the nomination of Councilor Edwin Piano to “The Outstanding Councilor of the Philippines 2009.”

TESDA KABALIKAT NATIONAL FINALIST

It is on this light that we want to commend you! The virtual welding, the innovation you have introduced and the tracking system you have installed at the Skills Training Center have impressed us so much. With your great attitude and excellent performance, we believe that you will perfectly match the criteria for the next TESDA Ramon Magsaysay Awards.

We wish you all the best!

ELIZABETH DM. MANIO(sig)

TESDA Director

Volunteer's Endorsement for TOCP

The Search Committee

Ten Outstanding Councilors of the Philippines

Manila, Philippines

Ladies/Gentlemen:

Our organization, the Bagumbayan Volunteers of Olongapo City, Inc., hereby endorses the nomination of Olongapo City Councilor Edwin J. Piano, by the Sangguniang Panglunsod of Olongapo City, as one of the Ten Outstanding Councilors of the Philippines. This endorsement is based on the following facts:

1. Councilor Edwin J. Piano has been rendering outstanding service not only to his constituents, but also to the community and to the nation in general, to wit:

1. In May 2003, in only his second year as City Councilor, Mr. Piano formally organized the thousands of local volunteers into the Bagumbayan Volunteers of Olongapo City, Incorporated by personally drafting the organization’s Constitution and By-Laws and registering the same with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Under Councilor Piano.s able leadership, Bagumbayan then conducted a series, forums, seminars and discussion groups to inculcate the culture of volunteerism among its new members. Bagumbayan then embarked on a series of community volunteer activities such as job fairs, safety trainings, clean-up drives, special recruitment activities, etc.

2. In 2006, Councilor Piano started the Bagumbayan Welding Training Project with a meager private fund of P50,000. Being a highly skilled welder himself, Councilor Piano prepared the course module for the Welding Training Project and acted as volunteer instructor for the course. Later on, he was able to persuade two more expert welders to volunteer as instructors without pay.

Today, Councilor Piano’s Welding Training Project has expanded into the TESDA-accredited Olongapo Skills Development and Employment Program (OSDEP), offering courses in various types of welding, computer literacy, call center skills, foreign language, and other special courses, while providing employment assistance to its graduates, with Mr. Piano himself as the full-time volunteer Technical Director of the Program while still acting as welding instructor. Deftly using his legislative skills, Councilor Piano was able to persuade the Olongapo City government, despite insufficient local government funds, to establish the also TESDA-accredited Olongapo City Skills Training and Employment Center as the venue for the Program.

As of July 2009, the OSDEP under the leadership of Councilor Piano, has trained a total of 9,712 men and women, majority of whom came from Olongapo City and neighboring provinces of Zambales, Bataan, Pampanga and Pangasinan. The rest of the trainees came from as far north of the country as Baguio, Ifugao and Tuguegarao, in southern Luzon such as Quezon province, in the Visayas such as Iloilo, and Mindanao such as Cotabato.

By diligently studying the market demand for types of skills and adopting the OSDEP courses to such demands, Councilor Piano has assured the employment of the trainees in his program. To date, Councilor Piano has helped in providing employment to 8,802 graduates of his training program, or 90.6 percent of all OSDEP graduates, broken down as follows:

Where Employed: No. Employed:

1. Hanjin Shipyard, SBFZ 7,378

2. Other Local Employers 1,034

3. Overseas (Middle East & Australia) 273

4. Sutherland Call Center 17

TOTAL Employed = 8,802 or 90.6% of total trained

3. Early this year, Councilor Piano went to Guam to look into the prospects of deploying Filipino workers, in anticipation of the transfer of U.S. military facilities in Okinawa to that island. As Chairman of the Task Force Guam, which was created by Olongapo City Mayor James Gordon, Jr., Councilor Piano conferred with government officials and prospective private employers in Guam and was able to get their commitments to hire thousands Filipino workers. He then arranged their visit to Olongapo last month to sign various memoranda of understanding to officially document all agreements made and discussed the details thereof.

4. The OSDEP under the direction of Councilor is now processing thousands applications for employment in Guam from various Filipino, applicants not only from the Philippines but also from Filipinos currently employed in the middle east and other Asian countries.

2. Councilor Piano is a paragon of integrity and dedication to public service. All of his above-cited activities are done in the spirit of volunteerism and dedicated public service, without any personal gain. Even in his last term as Councilor, and without any further political ambition, his enthusiasm to serve the people has not waned.

3. His unselfish sharing of his welding skills to thousands of trainees, and his innovative approaches to the management of the OSDEP has provided the right direction and opened opportunities to the otherwise unskilled and clueless young people who cannot afford higher education. The employment assistance provided by Councilor Piano enhanced the lives of thousands of families, and many thousands more in the future.

All of these were done by Councilor Edwin J. Piano without remuneration, and all in the spirit of volunteerism and dedicated service to the people. Hence, this endorsement.

We hope this endorsement would merit your consideration.Very truly yours.

JAIME L. MENDOZA

PRESIDENT

BAGUMBAYAN VOLUNTEERS

SBMA NOMINATION

SUBIC BAY METROPOLITAN AUTHORITY

BUSINESS AND INVESTMENT GROUP

BUSINESS AND INVESTMENT DEPARTMENT FOR

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY

Rm. 103, Bldg. 662, Taft St., Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Philippines 2222

Tel 047.252.4215 Fax 047.252.4449 E-mail ict.sbma@yahoo.com

THE SEARCH COMMITTEE

“THE OUTSTANDING COUNCILOR OF THE PHILIPPINES”

JCI-PCL

It is with great pride and honor to nominate one of Subic Bay’s pride, Hon. Councilor Edwin J. Piano, to the 2009 JCI-PCL search for “The Outstanding Councilor of the Philippines”. I, together with the Subic Bay ICT Council, nominates Councilor Edwin J. Piano for his invaluable contribution to the development and growth of the Information and Communications Technology Sector in Olongapo City and the Subic Bay Area.

His active participation in the Bataan-Olongapo-Zambales Educational Development Organization for Information Technology (BOZE’-DO-IT) or the Subic Bay ICT Council as the Vice-Chairman has made the organization and Subic Bay progress in reaching its vision of making it a vibrant, service-oriented and business friendly location driven by Information and Communications Technology

His commitment to the council has intensify the area’s promotion in the Global Market, specifically in his dedication to promote the area in the recently concluded CommunicAsia 2009 held in the Singapore Expo in Singapore.

His leadership had increased Subic Bay’s visibility in the country’s business arena through his representation in the country’s biggest ICT Event, the e-Services Philippines 2009 held in the SMX Convention Center, SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City.

He is also instrumental in giving more job opportunities to the constituents of Olongapo and the Subic Bay Area through the various job fairs conducted through his efforts and assistance, where various ICT companies had participated showing full support in the realization of the Cyber-Subic dream initiated then by now Senator Hon. Richard Gordon.

With his passion and dedication to promote the ICT Industry in Olongapo City and Subic Bay, and with his commitment to serve the public, the undersigned strongly recommend Hon. Councilor Edwin J. Piano as “The Outstanding Councilor of the Philippines”.

ENGR. VERGIL JOSEPH G. LANSANGAN

Officer-in-Charge / Head

Business and Investment Department for ICT

Business and Investment Group

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

Trustee

Bataan-Olongapo-Zambales

Educational Development Organization for

Information Technology (BOZE’-DO-IT)

(Subic Bay ICT Council)

TOCP 2009

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS

ANSWERS TO FIVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NOMINEE

1. The career of Councilor EDWIN J. PIANO can be described as a career characterized by hard work, legislative savvy and selfless dedication to public service. It is a shining example of how a Councilor’s innovativeness and practical skills can be successfully parlayed into the concrete enhancement of the lives of his constituents and the progress of his community and country.

Councilor Piano’s political career began in May 2001, when he was elected to the Olongapo City Council for the first time. He was subsequently re-elected for two more terms, in 2004 and 2007. With not much resource, other than his sagacious legislative skills, Mr. Piano was able to discern the legislation that was actually necessary in his milieu, and has authored and sponsored a wide range of legislative measures which all redound to the improvement of the quality of life of his constituents and the progress of Olongapo City. The scope of ordinances and resolutions he authored/sponsored include those on information and communications technology applications and regulations; and those for the improvement of education, environment, health, labor and employment, and revenue generation.

Believing that a councilor’s duties to the people go beyond mere legislative work, Mr. Piano voluntarily assumed other responsibilities that have a direct impact on the welfare of the community. He formally organized and led thousands of volunteers in rendering a wide range of community services. He set up and now heads the Olongapo Skills Development and Employment Center, while he is one of the pillars of the Subic Bay Information and Communications Technology Council. Mr. Piano is also very active in the scouting movement in Olongapo City.

2. (a.) As Chairman of the Committee on Labor and Employment, Councilor Piano almost by himself, established and now heads the Olongapo Skills Development and Employment Program, and generously shared his welding skills to more than nine thousand (as of July 2009) unemployed, mostly out-of school youth not only from Olongapo but from all over the country. He was also instrumental in the employment of more than ninety percent of these trainees, mostly at the Hanjin shipyard and some even overseas. Another noteworthy aspect of this achievement is that due to lack of government funds, this program was started with a meager Fifty Thousand Pesos from Councilor Piano’s volunteers’ organization. He innovatively applied “virtual welding” practice to save on welding rods, in order to accommodate more trainees. It was only later that Mr. Piano, using his exceptional legislative skills, was able to persuade a cash-strapped city government to change priorities and provide funding for the program. Today, the training program under Councilor Piano is jointly funded by his Bagumbayan Volunteers and the city government, and accepts trainees from all over the country.

(b.) An important achievement of Councilor Piano was the enactment of City Resolution No. 2005 R-011 which ended the monopoly in the city of one telecommunications provider, and allowed the entry of other providers. What makes this achievement more outstanding is the fact that despite strong lobby from powerful vested interests, Mr. Piano demonstrated his skill in balancing the contending forces and factions of public opinion, and successfully passed this important piece of legislation to the benefit not only of his constituents but the whole Province of Zambales as well.

Other noteworthy achievements of Councilor Piano include:

(c.) Information Technology - Through legislation and actual implementation, Mr. Piano authored legislation to computerize all government transactions and records. This is intended to facilitate doing business with the city government and ensure that the records are safe and easy to access. This resulted in streamlined procedures, faster service and less inconvenience to transacting clients of government.

(d.) Three-in-One ID System via Mobitron – Through a resolution authored by Mr. Piano, the city government put to use an identification card with a built-in tracking system that can be used as a valid ID by city residents such as drivers, vendors, government employees and other sectors who want it. Once swiped into the device, the ID card transmits information to a computer regarding, for example, how many traffic violations a driver has been ticketed for, or whether one has availed of a particular government service. The ID card also serves as daily time record of employees.

(e.) Subic-Clark Telecom Interconnection – Mr. Piano authored a resolution calling for the removal of additional charges on phone calls between Clark and Subic. This will enhance the communications between investors on both sides of the growth corridor minus the extra costs.

(f.) Information Dissemination Ordinance – Mr. Piano believes that information should be readily available to the public, so he took it upon himself, at no cost to the city government, to undertake the computer archiving of all city ordinances and resolutions from 1959 to the present. Now students, researchers and other interested parties can easily have on-line access to the documents. The websites he created namely www.sangunian.com, www.news.olongapo-subic.com and www.jobs.subicbay.ph have been a favorite source of information, to date more than two million viewers have been counted on these websites.

(g.) Telecom Board – Mr. Piano authored legislation creating the City Telecoms Board and regulating the setting up of telecom cell sites in the city, thereby promoting public welfare and increasing city revenues.

(h.) Business-Friendly Revenue Code – To sustain development in financially difficult times, Mr. Piano made amendments to the local revenue code which would encourage new entrepreneurs to start business at minimal costs in terms of required government fees while still paying their proper dues to the government.

(i.) Task Force Guam – As Chairman of Task Force Guam, Mr. Piano’s untiring and unremitting efforts to find employment for unemployed Filipinos found him negotiating with government officials and prospective employers in Guam which resulted in the signing memorandum of understanding firming up the latter’s commitment to hire Filipino workers for the Guam Build-up Project. Today, Mr. Piano’s office is deluged with thousands of job applicants who are being prepared for interview by the employers.

(j.) Councilor Piano has authored a number of other significant legislations especially in the field of education, health and the environment, the details of which are contained in the succeeding Listing of Authored and Sponsored Ordinances and Resolutions. To date a total of 259 Resolutions and 35 Ordinances have been authored and sponsored by Mr. Piano, some of which are the following:

2004 O – 24 - AN ORDINANCE CREATING THE LOCAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY BOARD.

2005 R – 11 - REQUIRING IMPLEMENTATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF ONE RATE, ONE PROVINCE POLICY

2008 O – 54 - STRENGTHENING THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC INFORMATION MANAGEMENT OF OLONGAPO CITY

2008 O – 02 - PROVIDING FOR THE COMPUTERIZATION OF ALL ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS ENACTED AND ADOPTED RESPECTIVELY BY THE PREVIOUS SANGGUNIANG PANLUNGSOD AND THE PRESENT SANGGUNIANG PANLUNGSOD IN LINE WITH THE COMPUTER MODERNIZATION PROGRAM OF THE CITY

2008 R – 39 - AGREEMENT (MOA) WITH JEMERYK PORTAL SYSTEM INTEGRATION, INC. REGARDING THE COMPUTERIZED I.D. OF PUBLIC UTILITY TRICYCLE DRIVERS AND OPERATORS AND VOLUNTEERS IN OLONGAPO CITY

2008 R- 18 - ADOPTING THE COMPUTERIZATION PROJECT OF THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS OF THE CITY

2007 O – 64 - OLONGAPO CITY 2007 REVENUE CODE

2007 O – 46 – PROVIDING FOR FREE ANNUAL PHYSICAL AND DENTAL CHECK-UP OF OLONGAPO CITY GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES

2006 R – 69 - APPROVING THE OLONGAPO CITY SKILLS TRAINING PROGRAM AS ONE OF THE PRIORITY PROJECTS

2007 O – 32 –APPROPRIATING AN ADDITIONAL AMOUNT OF THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND PESOS (PHP300,000.00) FOR THE OLONGAPO CITY SKILLS TRAINING PROGRAM

2007 O – 24 –APPROPRIATING THE AMOUNT OF SEVEN MILLION PESOS (PHP7,000,000.00) AS CITY’S COUNTERPART FUND FOR THE OLONGAPO CITY UNIFIED LAND INFORMATION SYSTEM

2007 R – 106 - AGREEMENT WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT (DILG) THROUGH THE BUREAU OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT DEVELOPMENT (BLGD) REGARDING THE LEGISLATIVE TRACKING AND PERFORMANCE MONITORING SYSTEM PROJECT (LTPMS) AND SANGGUNIAN INFORMATION SYSTEM (SIS)

2007 R – 105 – AGREEMENT WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT (DILG) THROUGH THE BUREAU OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT DEVELOPMENT (BLGD) AND COMMUNITY BASED MONITORING SYSTEM (CBMS)

2007 R – 75 - PUBLIC TRANSPORT COLOR CODED SCHEME, PATS-PUBLIC ASSISTANCE TRACKING SYSTEM, VMS-VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

2006 R – 174 - AGREEMENT WITH HANJIN HEAVY INDUSTRIES CORPORATION-PHILS. (HHIC-PHILS.) AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (TESDA) FOR SKILLS TRAINING PROGRAM

2005 O – 78 –RULES AND REGULATIONS TO GOVERN THE OPERATION, LICENSING ANS SUPERVISION OF ALL COMPUTER RELATED ESTABLISHMENT/INTERNET

2005 O – 54 – AN ORDINANCE PRESCRIBING CELL SITE APPLICATION FEE

2009 R – 116 - ENJOINING ALL TELECOM SERVICE PROVIDERS IN OLONGAPO CITY, SUBIC BAY FREEPORT AND ZAMBALES TO IMMEDIATELY IMPLEMENT THE NATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION COMMISSION MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR 09-07-2007 OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE INTERCONNECTION OF LOCAL EXCHANGE CARRIERS

2004 R – 26 - ISSUANCE OF CERTIFICATE OF PUBLIC CONVENIENCE FOR INNOVE COMMUNICATIONS, INC TO RENDER AND PROVIDE INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC LEASED LINED SERVICES IN THE TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION OF SBMA AND OLONGAPO

2009 O – 06 - AN ORDINANCE CREATING JAMES L. GORDON MEMORIAL HOSPITAL ADVISORY BOARD

2004 O – 36 - CREATION AND OPERATION OF THE OLONGAPO CITY COLLEGES NOW NAMED AS GORDON COLLEGE

2007 O – 19 - ESTABLISHING THE INSTITUTE OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN GORDON COLLEGE

3. In recognition of his numerous significant accomplishments, Councilor Edwin Piano has received many praises, accolades, prizes and awards such as the following:

“Your sustained commitment, dedication and selfless support to the Olongapo City’s disaster risk management initiatives toward a safer, prepared and more resilient community, thus contributing in a large measure to the success of the city in the National Gawad Kalasag Award’s Best City Disaster Coordinating Council.” Given by Angie Layug, Chief, Disaster Management Office/CDCC

“We believe that your organization’s winning TESDA Kabalikat Award was made possible due to your vibrant leadership and strong advocacy program on skills training.” Given By Elizabeth Manio, TESDA Provincial Director

“Scouter Edwin Piano has been instrumental in the continued development and growth of the programs and activities of the local scouting movement in forms immeasurable and most are intangible but very valuable in nature. Given By Council Executive Board, BSP-JLGC.

“His communication and leadership skills are very useful during evacuation of flood victims and crowd control during fire and major traffic accidents… Councilor Edwin J. Piano, truly is an outstanding public servant.” Given by Rudy Dalluay, DX3UNA President and JCI Senator No. 48244.

“For invaluable assistance and support, extended to Olongapo Business Club.” Given by Sam Del Rosario, President, Olongapo Business Club.

“For exemplary performance and significant contribution in providing radio communications assistance to the 23^rd SEA Games.” Given by Jaime Fortes, Jr., Deputy Commissioner and co-chair, Phil Olympic Committee

“For wholehearted support and invaluable services rendered to the Executive Committee which has contributed immeasurably to the success of Alay Lakad.” Given by Kate Gordon, City Mayor

“For his most valuable contribution of the EXPLORE 2002: The North Philippines Expedition.” Given by Renato Diaz, Undersecretary, Presidential Assistance for North Luzon

“For unwavering support to the City Police in terms of immediate and accurate telecommunication services.” Given by Ramon Fortunato Ocampo, Police Superintendent, Deputy City Director.

“For meritorious and outstanding service rendered to the Boy Scouts of the Philippines.” Given by Jose Rizal Pangilinan, Secretary-General, BSP

“We consider you and all who participated as heroes because your donations will save lives.” Given By Susan Dudley, Executive Director, Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce.

“For outstanding support and cooperation to the Olongapo City Girl Scouts Council.” Given by Erlinda Crispin, Council President, GSP-Olongapo

“Appreciation and outstanding support for the betterment of the school youth and in the realization of the projects launched for the improvement of the Sta. Rita Elementary School,” Given by Merele Ellano, Principal III – District II.

“For sharing valuable insights and global experiences to the participants of e-Services 2009 thus enhancing their knowledge of ICT and BPO best practices in an international context.” Given by Thomas Aquino, Senior Trade Undersecretary, DTI

“For devoted and valuable personal service and support to the youth development program.” Given by William Chavez, Director, Boy Scouts of the Philippines

“For valuable support and unselfish effort extended to the Olongapo Sport’s Council.” Given by Councilor Rodel Cerezo, Chairman, Task Force Sports.

“For invaluable support as resource person in the Olongapo City College symposium.” Given by Edralino Cajudo, Chairman, Board of Regents.

“For timely repair and re-installation of base and mobile radio antennas.” Given by Jonas Silvano, City Fire Marshal.

“For invaluable efforts in assisting our war heroes, their children and family in preserving the robust legacy of patriotism, enriching our heritage and instilling discipline and unity in the hearts of the Olongapeños.” Given by Vice Mayor Cynthia Cajudo, President, Veterans Federation - SDAI.

4. The accomplishments of Mr. Piano has resulted in concrete benefits to his constituents and to the public good in general.

(a) His skills training and employment assistance to thousands of unemployed Filipinos, in particular, has had a tremendous impact and paved the way to a brighter future for thousands of families nationwide. Where before, these unemployed and mostly out-of school youth had no employable skills and faced and an uncertain future, Mr. Piano has empowered them with marketable skills that ensured their lifetime economic security.

(b) His resolution ended one company’s monopoly in the city and allowed competition in the telecommunications sector had a very significant positive impact on the people, paving the way, as it did, for better service and competitive rates. It also required telecommunications companies to adopt the ‘One-Province-One-Rate Policy’ which did away with undue interconnection charges. This means that residents of Olongapo, Zambales and the Subic Bay Freeport can now make long distance landline calls without the extra long distance charges.

(c) The computerization of transactions with the city government which was initiated by Mr. Piano has eliminated the tedious and time consuming processes, thus improving the delivery of services to the public.

(d) His efforts as Chairman of the City Council Committee on Education and member of the Board of Regents of Olongapo City Colleges resulted in the raising of the school’s standards. Today, through the efforts of Mr. Piano, the school, which is until today known as the poor student’s college, is now a full-blown college offering courses the standards of which are comparable, and sometimes better than those in Metro Manila. Poor parents no longer have to worry being separated from their children while the latter go to college, and more importantly, their budgetary concerns have been eased.

(e) Mr. Piano’s concern for the youth is not confined to the students of Olongapo City College. His Skills Development and Employment Program has provided opportunities for the future of thousands of out-of-school youth. His hands-on mentoring of younger students, as Vice Chairman of the Boy Scouts of the Philippine, James L. Gordon Council has impacted tremendously on the boys that he has trained and motivated.

5. As a manifestation of their confidence and trust in Mr.Piano’s capabilities as a legislator and his dedication to public service, Mr. Piano’s colleagues in the City Council has entrusted him with the most important Committees and the most number of Committee Chairmanships in the City Council.

But his most outstanding legislative and humanitarian efforts are those that have to do with his efforts, despite initial opposition, to persuade an initially reluctant and cash-strapped city government to modify its program of priorities and divert its meager funds to finance the Olongapo Skills Development and Employment Program (OSDEP) and establish the OSDE Center. This proved to be one of the best decisions of the city government, as the tremendous impact of this program has concretely enhanced the lives of thousand of families nationwide.

Mr. Piano’s initiatives regarding the regulation and use of modern information and communication technology in the city have likewise impacted positively on the lives of the people. So does most of his legislative outputs.

In summary, the greatest accomplishment of Councilor Edwin Piano is his effective use of his legislative sagacity and skills in crafting timely and necessary laws that respond to the needs of the community; and his willingness to work even beyond the confines of the legislative halls, without any compensation, to make sure that these laws make their intended positive impact on the lives of the people. This accomplishment aptly exemplifies the line in the JCI Creed that states, “That government should be of laws rather than of men, and that service to humanity is the best work of life.”