ROXAS CITY, Capiz (PIA) — Some local officials have expressed their aspirations for inclusion to the 2nd State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. on July 24 at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City.
“I want to hear the gains and strategies on economic, infrastructure and the campaign against poverty at the grassroots level,” said Jamindan mayor Mac Artur Valdemar.
The same talking points were also the interest of President Roxas mayor Receliste Escolin and Dao mayor Jose Jimbo Barruela except that the latter wanted to hear an update on the President’s campaign promise to lower down the price of rice to P20.00 per kilo.
The mayors are one in pushing for more farm-to-market road projects to interconnect towns and provinces, bring development in the far-flung communities and provide better access to schools among pupils and students especially in the Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA).
The President, during a recent distribution of rice assistance in Pampanga, described his SONA next week as a performance report for the Filipino people.
He emphasized that his SONA will be more of a report to the people where he will discuss the programs and projects he mentioned in his previous address, show those that have been accomplished, and the things that need to be done.
The mayors are one in pushing for more farm-to-market road projects to interconnect towns and provinces, bring development in the far-flung communities and provide better access to schools among pupils and students especially in the Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA).
Escolin also added the need to attract more investors for the country as well as establishment of manufacturing facilities in the provinces to provide more jobs and employment opportunities.
For his part, League of Municipal Mayors of the Philippines (LMP) – Capiz Chapter president and Maayon town mayor Raymond D. Malapajo conveyed the need for a significant increase in the budget for the development of natural tourism and heritage sites that will be used in the various tourism-related infrastructure projects and facilities to accommodate visitors and tourists.
The LMP chapter is working out thru the support of their respective tourism officers to promote their various local tourist destinations to create livelihood opportunities for their constituents.
“With these provisions, the tourism industry will soar high in the provinces, particularly in the countryside,” said the Maayon chief municipal executive.
He also hinted that the government must give additional support to farmers as well as displaced farm workers and assure the medical professionals, especially the nurses, on security of tenure and increase in salary to help reduce brain drain on these frontliners.
The SONA will be an opportunity for the President to explain to the Filipinos the significant progress in the Philippines especially on how the international community perceives the country.
In a separate occasion, the President said that his address will be focused on the country’s present situation, what happened in the past year and what will happen in the years to come. (AGP/AAL/PIA Capiz)
