The Fight to Save Boracay: Meeting Aklan's Nonong Haresco

Over the course of sumptuous lunch over at a buffet restaurant in West Avenue, Quezon City, members of the press came to meet Nonong Haresco. Who is Nonong Haresco, I myself asked that prior, as it was the first time I ever heard of him.

nonong haresco

As it turns out, Nonong Haresco hails from Aklan, so it is understandable that he is unknown to this blogger, whose family hails from the capital, Manila.

But much is to be known, and admired about this man, who, upon my initial encounter that day, gave me an impression of him being simple and approachable.

And so we shook hands, and afterwards threw questions at him, all of which he answered politely.

teddy haresco

Rep. Teodorico T. Haresco, Jr., or known as Nonong Haresco, is from the lone district of Aklan. He is a proud Ilonggo, like my mother-in-law who hails from Capiz.

He has shown a soft spot for the less privileged. But instead of giving them fish, he shows them HOW by encouraging them to learn how to set up  their own business ventures, no matter how small it may seem to be at the start.

Haresco firmly believes in the micro-enterprise industry being a means to uplift hardworking individuals, who, in time, could be able to provide jobs for others in their communities while helping the development of the socio-economic sector.

This is something Haresco has taken to heart from a tender age. He was able to turn a Php 2000 loan from a relative into a small business by buying shrimps in Aklan and selling these in Manila.

Finishing with honors in Economics and Accounting at the De La Salle University, his sheer determination developed his little startup into a 50 hectare prawn farming venture in his hometown of Ibajay, Aklan! He soon found himself catering to big name restos in the Metro!

After completing his M.A. in International Economics at Canada's McGill University, he participated in the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development-International Trade Center in Switzerland, where his business acumen led to the formation of Haresco Trade Specialists Co. and Silver Thread Inc., which exports local capiz shells to European countries.

He has authored and co-authored several House Measures. If I were to count them in the file given, the House Bills and House Resolutions total to 64. These include the following acts:

HB00111- establishing a mechanism for the sustainable development and use of the island of Boracay,
HB00115- increasing the bed capacity of Ibajay District Hospital from 25 to 100,
HB02239- granting P1,000 monthly stipend by way of financial assistance to centenarians,
HB02240- exempting users of electronic vehicles from the payment of road user’s tax,
HB02241- prescribing nutrition labeling for food products,
HB02323- granting P500 monthly allowance to barangay tanods,
HB02414- amending section 5 of Republic Act No. 10121, otherwise known as an act strengthening the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management System,
HB02415- combating abuse and increasing penalties for crimes against senior citizens,
HB03192- providing for the establishment of barangay drugstores, otherwise known as “Botikasa Barangay”,
HB03366- penalizing anti-competitive agreements, abuse of dominant position, and anti-competitive mergers, establishing the Philippine Fair Competition Commission,
HB03776- empowering the micro, small, and medium enterprises,
HB04335- requiring mandatory installation of closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras on major roads included in routes of public utility vehicles,
and much more...

Aside from these, some of Haresco's milestone accomplishments include being the only Aklanon and Visayan to receive the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry Businessman of the Year Award (2007) and the Deutsche Bank Banker of the Year Award (2005).

He was People Asia’s Person of the Year and graced the cover in 2008 and is one of the Modern Day Filipino Heroes (2008), as well as being one of the twenty three  Filipinos cited in the book celebrating 347 years of Philippine-British Relations. His company, WINSOURCE Solutions Inc., has been a five-time recipient of the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise.

Aklan Rep. Nonong Haresco likewise conceptualized the President’s Bridge Programme (PBP) as a parallel intervention to regular government infrastructure programmes. This very successful reengineering model in the Philippines is being duplicated in Sri Lanka, Papa New Guinea, Cambodia, Siberia, and in other parts of Asia.

Congressman Teodorico "Nonong" T. Haresco, Jr., is also the principal developer of a NATIONWIDE scholarship fund for the children of slain journalists, and since 2007, was able to put 34 young scholars through school.

Rep. Teodorico "Nonong" T. Haresco, Jr.,

While his achievements and exemplary performance in Congress has been well-documented, nothing gives Nonong more fulfilment than his family. A happily married father to four, his contributions to the development of Aklan and the Philippines cannot be denied!

I have visited Boracay twice already, and I am amazed at its beauty but also sad that it seems too littered. Its small streets were overcrowded. There were trash and so many lumot floating in the waters during my vacation a few years ago. And we all recently found out that there were around 43 ILLEGAL underground sewer pipes flushing out excrement into the sea!

Thanks to DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu under President Duterte's Administration, Boracay is being rehabilitated. But let us not allow the renovation efforts be reversed. No to SMC's proposed bridge which will have a disastrous effect on the small island.

Over the years, we have seen how the pristine white sand beach Boracay has slowly been perishing right before our eyes, because of man's evil, corruption, greed, and lack of respect for Mother Nature.

Aklanons, join Nonong Haresco in his courageous fight against the giants and help save Boracay. Not just for us, but for our future generations.

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