From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 19):
USAID expresses readiness to support initiatives of Gov. Alvarez for Palawan development
The provincial government of Palawan is
elated over the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID)
assurance of support toward development initiatives of Governor Jose Alvarez.
Provincial information officer Gil Acosta said Tuesday the assurance of
support was given by USAID Mission Director Gloria D. Steele in a visit to
Puerto Princesa, Palawan on March 13 to 14.
Acosta quoted Steele as saying that the USAID is starting to reach out to
other provinces and is willing to strike partnerships with those who are
concerned with helping themselves.
She said that they “want to make sure that the US taxpayers’ money goes to
good causes, and that they go to good people and to places deserving of the
resources.”
For the past 20 years, USAID has been focusing on assisting Mindanao, but
this time, it is looking at the potentials of other provinces and is now
working with Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo, Batangas City,
and Palawan.
For Palawan, the USAID will reportedly
focus on development projects in energy, agriculture and tourism.
Recently, a USAID-funded project for hybrid renewable energy was inaugurated
in
Green Island
in the
municipality of
Roxas, northern
Palawan.
In the area of agriculture that will also spur livelihood opportunities,
Acosta said the provincial government struck an agreement with Rocky Mountain
Arabica Coffee Company for the development of a coffee plantation, and Kennemer
Foods International for cacao plantation in
Southern
Palawan.
The target municipalities are Aborlan, Bataraza, Brooke’s Point, Quezon and
Rizal.
Another area of partnership with USAID, he stated, is the Joint Energy
Development Advisory Group (JEDAG), which aims to address the power shortage in
Puerto Princesa and the province.
The provincial information officer said Alvarez thinks of the visit as the
start of a new relationship with USAID.
“The provincial government of
Palawan is in
a catch-up mode to address poverty in the province,” Acosta quoted the governor
as saying.
He added that in the last 15 years, government officials have not done
enough to address poverty but in the next two and a half years of Alvarez’s
current term, he assured the USAID officials that his administration will do
its best to do what has not been done while hoping that whoever will take over
next will continue what he has set out to do based on a 10-year program crafted
by his administration.
Governor Alvarez said that the assistance of the USAID to Palawan can do
much to awaken the people from a long slumber, reiterating that the province
has been lagging behind by 30 years compared to provinces in the Visayas and
Mindanao.
But endowed with the fire and fervor, something concrete can be done to
address poverty and bring the Palaweños to the mainstream of society.
“The governor said that helping Palaweños overcome poverty is a fulfilling
mission and with the support of the USAID, this will be a mission possible,”
said Acosta.
Governor Alvarez is said to have told Steele that one of the strategies of
his administration to address poverty is the development and strengthening of
the tourism industry in northern Palawan, and the further development of the
agricultural potentials of southern
Palawan.
To go hand-in-hand, southern Palawan will supply the agricultural
requirements of the tourism destinations from Puerto Princesa to northern
Palawan.
Another key strategy is the cultural, tourism and economic linkages with
Malaysia.
Impressed with the 2 1/2 M tourist arrivals in Kota Kinabalu alone, the Palawan
administration is optimistic that with the opening of air linkages between
Palawan and Kota Kinabalu via MASWings that will soon
have daily flights from its current thrice a week flights, this will bring in
more tourists to the province.
The governor, Acosta related, also sees the emergence of employment
opportunities for
Palawan workforce in its
neighbor. “There is now a shortage of manpower in
Malaysia. By the third year of the
governor’s term, we will have about 20,000 graduates, who are beneficiaries of
our education program, who will be ready to take on jobs in
Malaysia and also in the tourism destinations in
northern
Palawan,” he said.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=626811
