Dateline LIBACAO

By: Alex E. Dionela


STUDY TOURS OF LOCAL OFFICIALS


In pursuance of Libacao’s tourism development program a group of Makati-based planners and developers and some agriculture officials in Manila had signified recently their interest to assist and support all the way Mayor Charito Navarosa’s intent to come up with a Master Development Plan for this town, in order to ensure that all tourism infrastructures, facilities and attractions later on will be well placed in their proper order and thus avoid a repeat of unplanned tourism done in other places. Hence, this group enabled Mayor Navarosa to visit Clark Air Base in Angeles, Pampanga, in order for him to have a closer look of the former US military facility but now converted and developed into a tourist destination with beautiful landscape and first class entertainment and lodging accommodations. This kind of tourism development could serve as a good model for Libacao.
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The Sangguniang Bayan of Libacao and other local officials and barangay captains headed by Vice Mayor Ramon Zapata and ABC President Aniano Zaspa, respectively made a study tour of Manila, Bagiuo, Tagaytay and Marikina recently. Specifically, the group observed Bagiuo’s Tree Planting Program, Olongapo’s Solid Waste Disposal and Management, Tagaytay’s City of Character and Marikina’s Save the Marikina River. The foregoing programs and projects are all “Galing Pook” awardees and are good examples of effective local governance in the country. They also visited the Benguet State University for some technical inputs on the production of high-value crops and vegetables and their trading practices in the marketing of local products
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On the other hand, Mayor Aser Baladjay of Laua-an, Antique headed the municipal and barangay officials of that town in visiting Libacao last week in order to see for themselves the recent economic developments obtaining in this town under the present local administration. They were particularly interested of the abaca industry in Libacao which is a major source of income of people in the upland areas. According to Mayor Baladjay, his town is also abundant of abaca but that they do not produce abaca fiber. Hence, they came to know the intricacies of this industry so as to utilize this dormant natural resource for the economic benefits of his townspeople. They also visited the the cutflower garden, the Libacao Development Cooperative, a leading primary cooperative in Aklan, the Margarico piggery in Ogsip and the Villo Fruit Farm and River Resort owned by balikbayan Edipolo Ibarra in Agea-ob, Pinonoy where Mayor Navarosa treated them of a modest lunch.
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Libacao’s Wild River was again featured in national television on March 5, in “The Morning Show” of NBN TV. This was hosted by Stephanie who at the same time interviewed “lived” Mayor Charito Navarosa on the vast tourism potentials of this town.