[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’Angara wants disputed Pag-asa isle declared ‘ecotourism spot’’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
By Prince Golez, Manila Reporter
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=’custom’ color=”]
Tuesday, April 25, 2017
[/av_textblock]
[av_image src=’http://www.panaynews.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/nation-Angara.jpg’ attachment=’104068′ attachment_size=’full’ align=’center’ styling=” hover=” link=” target=” caption=’yes’ font_size=” appearance=’on-hover’ overlay_opacity=’0.4′ overlay_color=’#000000′ overlay_text_color=’#ffffff’ animation=’no-animation’]
A satellite image shows the disputed Pag-asa Island and the 1.3-kilometer runway of the Rancudo Airfield. The government is planning to invest P1.6 billion to repair facilities on the islet and declare the area a marine research facility and tourist destination.GOOGLE MAPS
[/av_image]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
MANILA – Sen. Sonny Angara is pushing to declare Pag-asa, an islet in the disputed Spratly group of islands, an ecotourism area.
Angara urged his colleagues to speed up the approval of his bill that will tranform the Pag-asa Island cluster into one of the major tourist destinations of the Philippines.
“With its impeccable beauty, the island is an ideal tourist destination,” said Angara in Senate Bill No. 944.
“The rich biodiversity and truly Filipino heritage truly reflects the beauty of a paradise that our country should be proud of,” he also said.
The bill proposes to create the Pag-asa Island Ecotourism Cluster Governing Board that will be composed of the governor of Palawan as its chairperson, congressman of the First District of Palawan as co-chairperson, regional executive director for Region IV-B of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources as vice chairperson, and the regional director for Region IV-B of the Department of Tourism as co-vice chairperson.
The mayor of the Municipality of Kalayaan, barangay chairperson of Pag-asa Island, commander of the Western Command of the military, and one each from a pro-environment non-government organization, the academe, business sector, and the private sector shall also be included as members of the board.
President Rodrigo Duterte earlier expressed his plan to turn Pag-asa into a marine research facility and tourist destination.
Last week, Defense secretary Delfin Lorenzana visited Pag-asa Island and announced that the government has allocated a total of P1.6 billion for the repair of the 1.3-kilometer runway of the Rancudo Airfield and the construction of a fish port.
According to Lorenzana, the island can easily be developed into a tourist destination because of its attractive beaches and pristine white sand.
The Pag-asa Island is located 480 kilometers off southwestern Palawan. It is the second largest Philippine-occupied island in the whole Kalayaan group of islands./PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
