'ASEZA to lift Aurora from poverty'

CASIGURAN, Aurora – The creation of the Aurora Special Economic Zone Authority in this town will open doors of opportunities for local residents and lift them from four centuries of grinding poverty.

Sen. Edgardo Angara told residents of Barangay Dibacong, Dibet and Esteves that the ecozone project would generate employment and provide opportunities for residents shackled by poverty over the last 400 years.

“Once the ecozone project is fully operationalized, Casiguran will boom which you have never experienced in your lifetime,” he said in his speech marking the ground-breaking ceremonies for the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone (APECO) administration building in Barangay Esteves last week.

He said that Casiguran is stagnated compared with neighboring municipalities and the ecozone would give it the impetus to finally achieve progress.

“After 400 years, nahuhuli na ho sa biyahe ang Casiguran kaya minabuti natin na dito itayo ang ecozone (Casiguran is lagging behind so we decided to establish the ecozone here),” he said.

The senator made the remarks amid strong opposition from certain quarters against the establishment of the ASEZA. Militant groups identified with the Multi-Sectoral Action Group have opposed the ecozone, saying the government would grab lands from landowners, owners of land titles and tenant farmers. –Manny Galvez