Poe vows to support tourism, upgrade Laoag airport

Local businessmen led by "Mango King" Carding Tolentino welcome Sen. Grace Poe at the Laoag International Airport. (Lei Adriano)

By Leilanie G. Adriano

Staff reporter

BATAC CITY—Presidential candidate Sen. Mary Grace Natividad S. Poe-Llamanzares vowed to promote tourism in Ilocos Norte to generate more employment and income opportunities for residents here.

Speaking before Batac City officials and employees on February 11, Ms. Poe-Llamanzares acknowledged the huge potential of the tourism industry in the province, where her father, Fernando Poe Jr. shot his most popular movie series, “Ang Panday.”

“Batid natin ang potensyal ng turismo dito ay napakalaki dahil nga ang ganda-ganda ng inyong lugar. Noon pa pinaplano kung papa’no palalawakin ang airport at kung ano pang pwedeng gawin para dito,” she said.

Ms. Poe-Llamanzares said the expansion of the Laoag International Airport would help boost tourism in the province as it will allow more foreign visitors to enter the Philippines via Ilocos Norte. According to the province’s tourism office, the only international flights to Laoag are chartered from Kaohsiung in Taiwan.

“Alam din natin ang dami ng trabahong madadagdag kung deretsong may international flights dito at ma-expand natin ang airport,” she added.

The senator, who shared memories of the province as a child, noted the natural beauty of Ilocos Norte and recalled how FPJ would bring home Ilocano specialties during filming.

“Alam niyo po, tuwing pupunta ako dito sa Laoag, sentimental po para sa akin talaga ito sapagkat ito yung mga panahon na naalala ko noong ako’y bata-bata pa na magkasama kami ng aking ama na nagba-bike diyan sa may Paoay, sa paligid diyan habang nagsho-shooting siya ng ‘Panday,’” she related.

If given the chance to lead the country, Ms. Poe-Llamanzares said she would implement free irrigation projects in Ilocos Norte for the farmers that her father, who also ran for president in 2004, had long wanted to help.

“We also acknowledge the smuggling problem here in the province, the entry of various agricultural products. That badly affects the local farmers,” she noted.

“Kaya kasama sa aming programa ang libreng irigasyon hangga’t kailangan ng ating mga magsasaka at kasama na rin po yun mga pampadagdag trabaho sa turismo,” she pointed out.

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