GMA promises more development for Caraga

BUTUAN CITY — President Arroyo, in her first official visit to the regions after her oath-taking on Wednesday, vowed more development for the Caraga region, citing its economic potential because of its natural resources, good climate and large tracts of fertile land.

Accompanied by Vice President Noli de Castro, her Cabinet secretaries and other top officials, the President arrived here yesterday and delivered a 30-minute, post-inaugural speech in the local dialect, thanking Caraga voters for their support in the last elections and reiterating her 10-point agenda in the next six years.

The Urios College Gym was jampacked with well-wishers, mostly local government officials, members of civil society and ordinary folk.

Like in Cebu, the President got an overwhelming 72 percent of votes in the Caraga region which has a little over 1.2 million registered voters, with the bulk coming from Agusan del Sur, Butuan City and Surigao del Norte.

Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay Jr. said that in Surigao alone, the President won against her nearest rival, actor Fernando Poe Jr., by 114,075 votes.

"The President’s overwhelming victory in the entire Caraga region reflected the people’s appreciation of her solid accomplishments and deep concern for the welfare of our local residents," Pichay said.

In her speech, Mrs. Arroyo urged national government agencies to focus attention on Mindanao as it is being groomed as the agricultural center in the country.

In support of her administration’s target of generating 10 million jobs in six years, Mrs. Arroyo cited an anti-poverty project, the Kabalikat Laban sa Kahirapan (KALAHI), in a town in Agusan del Norte, which is the beneficiary of P20 million funding.

She called for other agri-business development ventures in the region, saying that compared to other areas in Luzon and the Visayas, Caraga has good weather conditions conducive to agriculture.

The reforestation of Caraga’s Timber Corridor and the development of the Industrial Tree Plantation in Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Sur were mentioned by the President, saying that foreign investors may be interested in the project.

She also urged more infrastructure development projects like construction of bridges, roads, farm-to-market roads that will connect agriculture producing barangays to Mindanao and the whole of Luzon.

The President vowed to finish within her term the construction of the P1.9-billion second Butuan Bridge project, the Magsaysay Viaduct of the Lower Agusan Development Project and the 13-kilometer bypass road for the second bridge.

Promising that lasting peace in Mindanao will soon be achieved, the President called on insurgents to lay down arms and join society’s quest for progress.