PALAYAN CITY — Two “powerful speakers” graced the celebration of the 113th Unang Sigaw ng Nueva Ecija last Wednesday.

Nueva Ecija Gov. Aurelio Matias Umali introduced the two guests of honors and speakers -- Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and House Speaker Prospero A. Nograles.

The culminating event of the 30-day “Unang Sigaw” festivities was held at the Nueva Ecija Convention Center here.

Also in attendance were Nueva Ecija Vice Gov. Edward Thomas Joson, Butil party-list Rep. Leonila Chavez, former congressman Rene Diaz, former Philippine National Police chief and now Bureau of Jail and Management Penology chief Oscar Calderon, and other national and local government officials.

Greeeting the audience with “Mabuhay ang Nueva Ecija,” House Speaker Prospero A. Nograles made his observation of how productive this province is.

He said he saw from the air as he and Senate President Enrile “viewed the wide irrigation network of Nueva Ecija which is responsible for the food production efforts of the government.”

Nograles and Enrile pledged to work together in increasing the budget for the province’s irrigation, farm-to-market roads, and increased dairy farming projects to firm up its role as the dairy capital of the country.

Nograles noted the wide irrigation network throughout Nueva Ecija, comparing it to his native province Davao which is the nation’s fruit capital. He said Nueva Ecija is Luzon’s top food producer.

Meanwhile, Enrile batted for tax reforms which, he said, would benefit the tax-paying public and make the business community pay back for profits from their lucrative businesses.

He called for the removal of the 10 percent per-kilowatt-hour energy tax which should have long been scrapped. There is no need for it any more, he said.