WHY WE BELIEVE THAT GOVERNOR LRAY VILLAFUERTE DESERVES TO BE HONORED AS ONE OF THE OUTSTANDING PERSONS OF THE WORLD FOR 2008

BY: JCI NAGA “Carinosa”

Governor Luis Raymund Villafuerte has a long list of accomplishments that only attest to one undeniable fact : he is an excellent social entrepreneur who has the heart and compassion of one who truly wants to transform lives for the better.

As a self-made businessman, he achieved what others only dared to dream of.  A financial success punctuated by recognition of excellent work.  His long list of awards validates a brand of entrepreneurship that consistently strives for excellence. He did not allow initial difficulties and recurring national setbacks to deter him from pursuing his goals and as a result, triumphed even while the others were struggling.

But more importantly, he elevated his personal success to a life altering level – and propelled first, his own employees and subsequently, his province, to a progressive future.

Social entrepreneurship is how he often calls it because he believes that it is in creating opportunity and building self-sustainability that you acquire the means to fight the ills of  society, like poverty, unemployment and malnutrition. 

Governor Lray infused change without burdening his own people.  He more than doubled his revenues without increasing taxes, he provided training and education, free and accessible to the deserving youth of Camarines Sur. His farmers are now yielding better produce because of his distribution of free seedlings and farm implements. He gives them the means confident that they will use it wisely.

From poverty to progress. The young governor saw that the only solution out of the decades old poverty in Camarines Sur was to turn the province into a viable and profitable economic enterprise.  Faced with the sad reality of investors discouraged by the business climate of his province, he undertook what many others did not want to do. He wisely invested government resources in the Provincial Government Complex and turned it into a tourism and I.T. center hoping that serious investors will come and see what Cam Sur has to offer.

The Camarines Sur Watersports Complex (CWC) is a tourism innovation that is generating substantial revenues, largely because of the international attention and publicity it has gotten.  Dubbed as the world’s best wakeboard facility, it gave the province a sudden employment and livelihood boom. 

The Camarines Sur I.T. Park is another landmark project that has given employment and opportunity to those who could no longer continue their college education but are talented and trainable in animation, medical transcription, language proficiency, health support services, computer programming, etc.

 His increased revenues inspired him to yet embark on another project and worked towards the development of the long neglected Caramoan Peninsula.

He believed even when many did not and dared to do the seeming impossible. Governor Villafuerte is now reaping the rewards of a successful entrepreneurial endeavor– and his people are enjoying its benefits.

Now, Camarines Sur is no longer known as the poor, typhoon prone province, because it has turned into a premier tourist and investment destination and has made a mark in the global map of extreme sports through wakeboarding. Now, fresh graduates no longer need to go abroad or leave their families because right in the heart of the province complex are job opportunities in I.T, tourism and agri-business. Now, malnutrition no longer cripples the health and future of children because of the governor’s comprehensive health program. More than 50,000 scholars now benefit from a free education program.  The rice production of Camarines Sur is surpassing targets despite the typhoons, calamities and perenial flooding. 

Camarines Sur is on the rise and Governor Lray Villafuerte is leading his people out of instability to opportunity, out of poverty to progress.

Governor Luis Raymund Villafuerte is a visionary who used social entrepreneurship to defeat poverty. He used his personal success as a benchmark to achieve a higher form of success. He is turning around his province’s bleak past into a progressive future. 

In the Philippines, it is rare that a financially successful, multi-awarded entrepreneur will venture into public service.  But Governor Villafuerte did this out of the belief and because of his conviction that entrepreneurship can be applied to public enterprise.  He wanted to break the stereotype of what government officials are like in the Philippines. He wanted to be independent and to veer away from the over dependence on national funds and resources.

He set to make his own mark in public service by applying outstanding entrepreneurial skills that are now enjoyed by many in his province who used to be without food, jobs, skills and livelihood. 

Governor Villafuerte is a man on a mission with dreams and aspirations that are almost fulfilled. He is putting his province in the map of progress because of his outstanding innovations in tourism, agriculture, education and information and communications technology. These are now reaping benefits that his people can see, feel and experience.

Governor Luis Raymund Villafuerte is one top outstanding person who deserves the world’s recognition.  This is one man whose youth and idealism served as capital to change his life, achieve excellence and bring his own success to more people, benefiting 1.7 million constituents and propelling Camarines Sur into progress.