BANGUED, Abra – The successful staging of the
5th Kawayan Festival that coincided with the province’s
96th foundation anniversary has opened its ecotourism potentials that will
spur economic growth and improve livelihood of peple especially those in far
flung communities.
Gov. Eustaquio Bersamin bared
this saying active participation of Abrenos to the festivities
will establish the province’s identity
in the country’s tourism map.
Bersamin said the festive mood in
the province for over a week now sends the message that Abra is no longer a
conflict-stricken area but now a potential eco-tourism destination because of
its peace-loving people and scenic spots along the Abra R%iver.
Delegations from the 27
municipalities of the province showcased their respective handicrafts and
artifacts that were carved out of bamboo which grows in both the upland and
lowland communities.
After his election as the
province’s governor in 2007, Bersamin started the annual festival to showcase
locally made bamboo crafts and depict a different image of the province after
it was previously branded as “killing fields of the north” due to numerous
election-related violence and incidents that claimed the lives of innocent
politicians and their supporters.
“Our people and visitors were able to see for
themselves significant changes that were put in place in the province over the
past five years. We heavily invested in sustaining our peace initiatives while
we worked on providing our people with descent sources of livelihood through
their respective bamboo crafts,” the 65-year old governor said.
He added Abra needs to continue
moving on towards growth and development to ensure availability of employment
opportunities and sources of livelihood for the people in the countryside.
According to him, the public and
private sectors as well as the civil society closely worked together in making
this year’s Kawayan Festival a success and that the same illustrates that with
unity and teamwork, much could be accomplished, especially in providing the
appropriate services to the people.
Like the bamboo that could grow
tall and sway with the direction of the wind, the governor cited the state of
Abra this time could be likened to the state of the bamboo that it could freely
grow tall and be able to sustain its growth by being able to sway with the
direction of imposed government policies.
Like the bamboo could sprout and
grow when cut, Bersamin said Abra will continue to grow into a potent economic
tiger in Northern Luzon once its potentials on ecotourism, agriculture, mining
among others could be appropriately exploited, developed and utilized thereby
contributing in providing employment and sources of livelihood for the people,
especially those in remote villages that could not yet be accessed by the
needed infrastructure that will inter-connect the different towns to the
neighboring municipalities in the different provinces of the Ilocos and
Cordillera regions. -- Dexter A. See
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