BY HERBERT VEGO
ILOILO City – Mayor Tomas Peñaflorida of Pototan, Iloilo, as guest of the talk show Reklamo Publiko on DyOK Aksyon Radyo-Iloilo yesterday, said his town could have become a city already.
“A municipal income of P75 million a year,” he said, “used to be the yardstick for a town to be elevated into a city. We earn that much now. But because of an amendment introduced by then senator Aquilino Pimentel, it has been raised to P100 million.”
He expressed confidence that under his watch, Pototan would reach that income and qualify for cityhood through industrialization and tourism.
“We have identified a 10-hectare industrial zone in Brgy. Amamaros,” Peñaflorida revealed. “There we intend to put up industries, probably initially an export-oriented garment factory which could employ 3,000 residents.”
The local government is also working on an integrated farming project called Palayamanan to boost not only rice production but also of other crops, vegetables and livestock.
Pototan being the rice granary of Western Visayas, Peñaflorida said the local government had already defrayed a budget of P160,000 to buy high-yielding, registered seeds for resale to the farmers.
As far as tourism was concerned, he pointed to four Pototan inland resorts that have been drawing huge crowds.
He said he had been visiting and observing municipalities that had won the Galing Pook award because it’s the winners of this award that also win tourists.
One that impressed him most was Balanga, Bataan because of its impressive public market.
There are many possibilities open for Pototan to vie for the award, Peñaflorida said, citing its beautiful plaza and the annual Iwag Festival or festival of lights.
To the question on whether, like the province of Batangas with its “Batangas beef,” Pototan could produce a tourist-drawing delicacy, he said it’s very possible. He cited the popularity of carabeef steak in one of the town’s restaurants.
He denied, however, that Pototan sells only carabeef or carabao meat; the town also sells beef.
Mayor Peñaflorida also credited the Pototan branch of the West Visayas State University (WVSU) for making the town the center of tertiary education outside of Iloilo City.
Aside from Pototanon students, hundreds of students from Passi City, San Enrique, Calinog and Dingle go there to study and earn a professional or vocational degree.
Hosted by Panay News editor-in-chief Danny Fajardo, yesterday’s Reklamo Publiko also saw the participation of panelists Sammy Julian, Herbert Vego, Atty. Leonardo Jiz, Zar Borongan, Teddy Sumaray and Atty. Pol Causing./PN
