Army: Eastern Samar now ready for development

801st Brigade Commander Brig. Gen. Romeo Labador, Eastern Samar Vice Governor Christopher Sheen P. Gonzales, 8th Infantry Division Commander Maj. Gen. Gerardo T. Layug, and Eastern Samar Governor Conrado B. Nicart, Jr., sign a joint-declaration announcing the province is now ready for development. (Photo by REINIER M. AMPONG)

By MEDORA NB QUIRANTE
March 28, 2013

  

BORONGAN CITY – The Philippine Army and the Provincial Government of Eastern Samar announced through a joint declaration that the province is now a “manageable conflict-affected and ready for development area” (MCA-RDA).

In a program that lasted less than an hour in the morning of March 25, 2013, 8th Infantry Division Commander Maj. Gen. Gerardo T. Layug, Eastern Samar Governor Conrado B. Nicart, Jr., Vice Governor Christopher Sheen P. Gonzales, and 801st Brigade Commander Brig. Gen. Romeo Labador, signed copies of the declaration with provincial employees and members of the press as witnesses.

Layug, in his message, said the province is now ready to take its first step towards being a world class tourist destination.

Alternative tourism destination

The declaration came a year after the approval of the Samar Island tourism master development plan by the Regional Development Council.

Under the plan, the government and local tourist stakeholders will concentrate its efforts in developing Eastern Samar’s Borongan-Llorente forest canopy and Calicoan Island in Guiuan, along with 16 other destinations in the island.

With the plan, Samar Island, home to eco-tourism adventure, cultural and heritage sites, and rich marine life aims to make be third largest tourist haven by 2016.

“We have to admit, in the past, when you talked of Samar Island, you’d think NPA or insurgents,” Layug said.

According to the army commander, based on records, in the past three years rebel activities in the province have dramatically dropped.

“Now we can proudly say that insurgency is no longer as big a problem as it was before. Now, we’re ready to invite tourists and investors to the province,” Layug said.

Winning the peace

Under the Internal Peace and Security Program Bayanihan, the army has incorporated development initiatives and involved the local government units in its campaign against insurgency.

“The army has shifted its orientation from being combat-oriented to involving everybody not in winning the war but winning the peace,” Layug said.

For Gov. Nicart, the declaration was not only the success of his administration but “the success of every Estehanon.”

Army reports reveal that before the declaration was signed on the provincial level, same declarations have been signed in its component towns.

“We have 19 towns that have signed the same declaration. The signing will only make it official but Jipapad, Maslog, Giporlos and Gen. Mac Arthur are already in the list of MCA-RDA towns,” Labador said.

The province is first in Samar Island and is third province in the region to be declared as manageable conflict-affected and ready for development.