President Marcos has revealed his administration's initial plans to strengthen the tourism industry of the Dinagat Islands and its efforts to recover from the damages caused by Typhoon Odette.

Marcos said this as he led the distribution of rice in the Dinagat Islands on Sept. 29.

In his speech, the President said the government is not only helping the people of the province rebuild the island known for its pristine beaches, but it also has plans to strengthen its tourism industry.

According to Marcos, the province is part of the government's connectivity efforts, including putting up an airport and maximizing the use of seaports to allow easy access to local and foreign tourists.

“Medyo isolated nang kaunti kaya’t kailangan nating gawan ng paraan para unang-una maganda yung sa airport. Yun ang pinaka-madali (The province is a bit isolated so we have to find a way to construct an airport here. That's the easiest task),” he said.

This is the second time that President Marcos visited the Dinagat Islands. His first was in December 2021, when he brought relief assistance and supplies to the victims and communities affected by Typhoon Odette.

The Dinagat islands were one of the worst-hit areas by the typhoon, which incurred over P1.1 billion worth of agricultural damage and nearly P2.8 billion in damage to infrastructure and facilities.

Meanwhile, President Marcos also lauded the local government officials and residents of Siargao for their resiliency, unity, and strength during the onslaught of Typhoon Odette in 2021.

According to the Chief Executive, he was glad to see that Siargao Island is slowly returning to its normal state and improving.

“Yung bago ninyong ginagawa na pag-rehab, na newly constructed ay mas maganda doon sa pinapalitan niya (The rehabilated and newly constructed infrastructure are better than what they replaced)," he said.