In her opening statement at the joint Cabinet-Regional Development Council meeting at the Malacañang sa Sugbo here, the President said she wants the central Philippines to lead in the creation of the country’s "Tourism Center" that would bank on the region’s natural attractions and marine life.
"We must take back our forests and replenish fallen trees with new, protected forests to protect our land and our people," Mrs. Arroyo said. "We must reforest that land and back the beauty of the Philippines."
"I want our Tourism Center to be also the center of the new Green Philippines or ‘Berdeng Pilipinas,’ and I have issued a call to action to make the new Green Philippines happen within the next five years," she said.
She said the envisioned "tourism center" would comprise the regions of Visayas, Bicol, Palawan and Romblon, Camiguin, the Mindanao islands of Dapitan and Siargao.
The President said the central Philippines has vast coastal and marine resources which will "make an excellent foundation for tourism."
She said the people have the chance to develop "our nation right from the start: clean, healthy, productive and beautiful."
"I want to tap the enthusiasm of young and old alike to clean our environment. We need to beautify our villages and rid cities of trash; build more urban parks and recreation areas; purify our water; and clean up industrial sites that are an eyesore and are unhealthy," Mrs. Arroyo said.
She said the country’s world-famous coral reefs and beaches could also be turned into national and international sanctuaries for eco-tourism and scientific research.
She said as part of the Green Philippines program, she also wants an energy efficient nation, "free from reliance on costly and exhaust-spewing cars and smokestacks."
"We can harness our sun, wind and geothermal resource and produce our own clean fuels through bio-fuels and not rely on foreign suppliers," Mrs. Arroyo said, referring to importation of crude oil. The country imports over 90 percent of its fuel for transportation.
She said the move to tap the natural advantages of Central Philippines to benefit the entire country is part of the administration’s strategy to subdivide the country into four "supra regions."
Last month, the President announced that the country would be divided into North Luzon, Metro Luzon, Central Philippines and Mindanao for better mobilization of resources.
Mrs. Arroyo said the national government will bolster education, invest infrastructure and encourage greater investments all over the country such as business process outsourcing in Cebu, logistics in Clark and Subic, and expressways and ports in Luzon.