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The Matugas brothers with the Aquino sisters. Photo credit: Jun Lira |
By
Eugenio Lira, Jr.
DAPA, Surigao del Norte —
Malacañang Palace has announced on Wednesday, March 27, a P110-million
financial grant from the Social Fund of President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III
for the modernization of the Siargao airport.
The move was seen as Malacañang’s
support to Rep. Francisco Matugas’ commitment to transform Siargao Island,
officially known as the country’s surfing capital, as one of the major tourism
destinations in Asia-Pacific region.
The announcement was
made during the official visit of DILG Secretary Mar Roxas and DOTC Secretary
Joseph Emilio Abaya to Siargao
Island where they made an
ocular inspection of the island’s airport and the proposed runway extension
development.
They also inspected the
new Tourist Police stations in Dapa and General Luna towns and the newly-converted
LTO District Office for Siargao located in Dapa which came into being with President Benigno Aquino III’s recent approval
of R.A. 10391. They also visited Dedon Island Resort and the world-famous Cloud
9 surfing area in General Luna where they met with local officials and
discussed Malacañang’s series of
financial aids to support Rep. Matugas’ plans to bring more development to the country’s
surfing capital.
Roxas and Abaya promised
to lobby for additional speedy release of presidential funds to fast-track
improvements in Siargao
Island aimed at boosting
the tourism businesses in the area. They envisioned the island as one of the
major tourism destinations in Asia-Pacific region in the next five to ten years
as evidenced by the increasing arrivals of foreign and domestic tourists and
the rising data on foreign and domestic investments in the area.
The two also promised to
promote Siargao as a “Paradise
Island ” and to bring the
ambassadors of different countries into the place in a confidence-building move
for the local economy to open up its door to unlimited opportunities that would
be brought by the international tourism community. (JLira, Contributor)