Arroyo wants Panay to be another Calabarzon

KALIBO, Aklan — President Arroyo wants Panay Island to be another Calabarzon or the tourism-industrial zone of Western Visayas.

Mrs. Arroyo, who was here the other day, said the Panay Integrated Development Program will give priority to tourism in Boracay Island and the region’s agricultural modernization.

"The Panay Island will be the Calabarzon in the 21st century," she said.

Calabarzon refers to the booming industrial area in Southern Luzon that consists of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon.

Panay is comprised of the provinces of Iloilo, Aklan, Capiz and Antique.

Mrs. Arroyo said the departments of science and technology, tourism, environment and natural resources and interior and local government will work with the provincial and municipal governments in Panay to carry out the integrated development plan.

Mrs. Arroyo said she has instructed the Department of Budget and Management to release P177 million for the rehabilitation and expansion of the irrigation system along the Aklan River.

In Boracay, Mrs. Arroyo said the Philippine Tourism Authority has completed a P800-million sanitation and sewerage system to prevent wastes from contaminating the waters of the world-famous tourist destination.

"Because of the coliform issue in Boracay in 1997, many tourists canceled their trips to the island, but today, because of the sanitation and sewerage system, our problem has been solved," she said.

Mrs. Arroyo said she has also allowed the National Electrification Administration to take over the Aklan Electric Cooperative (Akelco) to solve the power problem in Boracay and the rest of Aklan.

Fr. Francisco Silva has taken over the management of Akelco to bring back "stable power supply" to the province, she added.

Mrs. Arroyo said she has instructed the Department of Energy to immediately resolve the insufficient transmission capacity and overloading of the Nabas-Caticlan submarine cable.

"The existing (electric) system of Boracay is outdated just like the old sewerage and water systems," she said. "And so we will address decisively the problem of power which will help Boracay and the entire province."

Mrs. Arroyo said she will release P40 million from the President’s Social Fund for the upgrade of the Caticlan airport in Malay town, which is the jump-off point to Boracay.

Henceforth, the airport will be known as Godofredo Ramos Tourism Airport in honor of the former congressman known to be the "Father of Aklan," she added.