ILOILO – While acknowledging past concerns about the insurgency problem in the Municipality of Calinog, the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) clarified that it is no longer as significant a problem as in previous years, although it has not been completely discounted from their security plans.
Thus for the presidential visit to Calinog this morning for the inauguration of the Jalaur River Multipurpose Project (JRMP) Phase II there, security will be tight.
“Our primary goal is to ensure that no untoward incidents occur during the President’s visit,” said Major Rolando Araño, spokesperson for the IPPO.
But not only in and around Calinog. Security measures has been expanded to cover the whole Panay Island, according to the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6).
The tighter security measures involve collaboration with other agencies such as the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), said Police Lieutenant Colonel Arnel Solis, spokesperson for the PRO-6. He acknowledged concerns about the insurgency.
“We are deploying numerous personnel, including counterparts from the AFP, to ensure that the President’s visit goes smoothly and successfully,” said Araño.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. last year approved additional funds needed for the project’s completion, originally initiated by his father, President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., who completed the first phase in 1983.
The completion of JRMP II is expected to substantially increase rice production, which will help stabilize rice prices, a major inflation factor in the Philippines.
The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) in Western Visayas, led by Engr. Jonel Borres, anticipates the project to be fully operational by 2025, increasing the annual rice production in Iloilo from 197,545 to 338,874 metric tons. This project will also provide year-round irrigation to approximately 31,840 hectares of farmland, benefiting 25,000 farmers.
JRMP II is among the 194 priority infrastructure projects under the government’s “Build Better More” (BBM) program./PN
