It was partly to turn development ideas into practice that he ran for governor of Ilocos Norte in 1998. “I wanted to turn into practice the ideas I learned in school and the policies I helped to pass in Congress,” he says. “Being an executive is a different challenge.”
As Ilocos Norte governor from 1998 to 2007, Bongbong recorded major achievements:
- He transformed a third-class province into a first-class one (based on income) within his first term.
- With 73% of the provincial population dependent on agriculture, he raised agricultural productivity in the province by focusing on rice production and cash crops like vegetables and tobacco. He invested resources in hybrid seedlings production that underpinned the agricultural transformation.
- He set up a successful program for cooperatives development in the province that greatly helped in the economic development of Ilocos Norte.
- He turned the province into a major tourism destination by improving infrastructure, developing the province’s special natural attractions, and capitalizing on Laoag City’s being an international gateway into the country.
- He turned his province into a model for public health care by providing 100% of his provincemates with health insurance.
- He harnessed wind power as an alternative source of energy for his province (generating 34 megawatts of power at last count), making Ilocos Norte a model for other regions.
By the end of his three terms in 2007, Ilocos Norte stood tall as a progressive medium-sized Philippine province, a cohesive community, and a highly popular destination for foreign and domestic tourists.
