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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider PDP-Laban stalwart backs Romualdez's P3-B Pag-asa dev't plan

PDP-Laban stalwart backs Romualdez's P3-B Pag-asa dev't plan

Published Oct 15, 2023 09:28 am

At A Glance

  • Surigao del Sur 2nd district Rep. Johnny Pimentel is supporting House Speaker Martin Romualdez's high profile plan to to develop the 37.2-hectare Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

FB_IMG_1657728580349.jpgSurigao del Sur 2nd district Rep. Johnny Pimentel (Facebook)

 

 

 

 

 

 

A long-time member of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) is supporting House Speaker Martin Romualdez's high profile plan to to develop the 37.2-hectare Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

“The Speaker’s plan to upgrade Pag-asa’s airfield, wharf and boat shelter port reinforces our proposal to establish the island as a tourist attraction,” Surigao del Sur 2nd district Rep. Johnny Pimentel said in a statement Sunday, Oct. 15. 

“Pag-asa is surrounded by rich marine life, making it ideal for diving and fishing for leisure, exercise, or competition...Pag-asa is a case of if we build enough structures, tourists will come,” Pimentel said. 

In November 2022, the PDP-Laban stalwart filed House Bill (HB) No. 6228, which seeks to declare Pag-asa as a recreational fishing and dive spot under the National Tourism Development Plan. 

It was early this month when Romualdez announced plans of developing Pag-asa Island and the rest of the Kalayaan Island Group to the tune of P3 billion. Before this, the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) president led a small group of congressmen in an inspection of Pag-asa.  

The largest landmass of the Kalayaan Island Group, Pag-asa is situated 508 kilometers northwest of Puerto Princesa City. 

Depending on the type of Short Takeoff and Landing (STOL) aircraft used, a flight from Puerto Princesa to Pag-asa would take one and a half to two and a half hours. 

The Speaker said the entire Kalayaan islands, which have a combined land area of around 79 hectares, could potentially become the "Maldives" of the Philippines. 

The Kalayaan islands include Ayungin Shoal, where the Philippine Marines has deployed a permanent outpost on the stranded tank landing ship BRP Sierra Madre, amid China’s highly aggressive reclamation activities in the unoccupied reefs of the larger Spratly archipelago. 

The municipality of Kalayaan was created over the Kalayaan islands by virtue of Presidential Decree (PD) No. 1596 issued by President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. in 1978. The Kalayaan municipal government is based in Pag-asa, which is also the town’s lone barangay. 

A fifth-class municipality, Kalayaan is the least populated town in the Philippines, with only 193 residents who all live on Pag-asa, according to the 2020 census.

 

Related Tags

Johnny Pimentel Martin Romualdez PAG-ASA ISLAND PDP-Laban
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