MORE NEWS, ILOCOS SUR

Ranking Chinese exec cites Ilocos potential
By Freddie G. Lazaro

VIGAN CITY, Ilocos Sur — A high ranking Chinese official cited the socio-economic potential of the Ilocos region in terms of agriculture, export development and tourism industry during the recently concluded tactical planning and workshop by the members of the Regional Development Council held in Fort Ilocandia Resort in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte.

Hudson Wong, Second Secretary of China’s Consular Office in Manila, said these prospects in the region would help upgrade the economic life of the people.

Ilocos Sur Gov. Deogracias Victor "DV" B. Savellano, the incumbent RDC chairman, initiated the planning workshop attended by the regional officials of all government agencies and local government units to establish the direction of the region by utilizing existing resources of the region for sustainable economic development.

Among the projects deemed to boost the region’s potential as identified during the recent planning workshop included: the improvement of airports in Laoag City and Vigan City; construction of an airport in Alaminos City, Pangasinan; improvement/upgrade of seaports in Currimao in Ilocos Norte, Salomague Port in Cabugao, Ilocos Sur; San Fernando Seaport in La Union and establishment of the Ilocos Sur Special Economic and Freeport Zone (ISSEFPZ) in Cabugao, Ilocos Sur.
Others were rehabilitation of communal and national irrigation systems; tri-city tourism project (Pangasinan and La Union); Upland road development program; key commodities development program on mangoes, bangus and garlic; deep-sea commercial fishing; sustainable agriculture through creation of demo sites for application of new techonology and organic farming; and minerals (metallic and non-metallic) development project.

Wong said he will bring these programs to concerned Chinese officials for further study in connection with the preparation of the intention for bilateral ties agreement between the People’s Republic of China and the Ilocos region.

"In my own opinion, I am very much willing to establish sisterhood cooperation of China and Ilocos region not only for its potentials but also its geographic proximity considering that the air travel between Hong Kong and Laoag City is 45 minutes," he said.

"I’m also expecting that our government would consider these potentials of Northern Luzon," added Wong.

He disclosed that the good relationship between China and the Philippines had already been established 100 years ago.

With the positive observation of the Chinese official, Savellano said that this would be the start of the fruitful indications for the success of his economic development plan of the region benefiting primarily the local folks.

"The Ilocos region has plenty of resources for our leaders to maximize to attain goals for economic development," said Savellano.