The visit
Weeks ago, the Department of Budget and Management Secretary Abad's presence at the University of the Philippines outwardly pictured him as a troubled visitor. But his visit this time in a far-flung fifth class municipality is an absolute opposite. This is a visit that took place with a different perspective and accorded with magnanimous warmth. The secretary experienced hospitality at its best. And because who would expect a top honcho in the government hierarchy to visit a rustic town of Anda, miles away from a highly industrialized Metro Manila where he is holding his office? And what else can Anda show or offer to a visitor like Abad but no less than its first class resort which for some especially those who have long been away from the town is their first time that they have heard of this resort. And even for the locals, there's no way that they can avail of its services as the rate is comparable to exclusive resorts in other places. For balikbayans, saving for this resort seems imperative.
For a local, a visit of a top government ranking official is not just a mere presence of a new face but this personality comes along with promises and improvements. For the Andahanons, his visit means bringing funds for infrastructure projects. For them, it is a light at the end of the tunnel for an economically struggling town.
From the very start and for so many decades, even with the potential of local tourism, the people remain to rely on the remittances of their relatives abroad or tilling their small farm land or a sizable number of the populace goes into fishing. Other families depend on relatives who work in the government as teachers or office clerks. And for others whose source of income are small scale businesses like sari-sari stores as there are no major industries in town.
For the present local administration, the secretary's visit is a triumph as this is a manifestation of how the Executive Officer of this small town is doing for the benefit of its constituents. This is a salute from a greater majority to the town mayor Metodio "Dodong" Amper. And probably a day or two of silence from the critical opposition.
Together with Governor Edgar Chatto, the secretary's aim of visit was to inspect the proposed project of road concreting from Barangay Suba to Sitio Big-ot of Barangay Badiang. A creditable development for this is the realization of the promise of the present mayor and his Liberal Party team.
For so long that politics in this town was handled by a recurring faces in town. And for many years my husband's travel to his relatives to Barangay Badiang for annual fiestas, the situation, bad roads, remained the same. For Andahanons, it is already the start of the realization of their wishes and dreams.
His visit also brought about a basic realization that as an agricultural and fishing town, there is still a recurring need to refocus its strength in this area as majority are still relying on the bounty of the town's natural resources. And I cannot bear any longer the fact that a fishing town whose fishes are not from its own seas but from other adjacent towns!
Just on its new term, the people look at the local executive as answer to the long years of lackluster economic growth. But for some, we can't help that because of these initial major developments, they think for more other inconceivable projects, and to some extent, is simply ridiculous. For a fifth class municipality to have all these: a port, an airport, a hospital, as if wanting all to appear after rubbing the magic lamp! Sorry to disappoint as this is aptly popularized by the song, The Impossible Dream.
- Latest
