PGMA supports Calicoan Resort, hopes to ribbon-cut before 2010

By ALICE NICART (PIA Eastern Samar)
August 12, 2007

GUIUAN, Eastern Samar  –  President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo expects to provide employment opportunities for people in the Eastern Visayas region as she hopes to attend the inauguration and ribbon-cutting ceremony of the multi-million pesos worth Condominium Hotel in Calicoan, Guiuan.

Built by a government corporation, the Calicoan Integrated Resort Development Corporation (CIRDC), the hotel is expected to be opened before President Arroyo’s term is finished in 2010.

This was disclosed by Presidential Spokesman for Visayas, Victor Domingo in a media interview, right in the actual hotel site in Calicoan island on Friday during the launching.

Domingo clarified that the Calicoan project that is set to attract hundreds and thousand tourists is fully supported by President Arroyo and is being assisted by the provincial government.  Thus, according to him, he sees to it that the road from Guiuan poblacion towards the island is put in place aside from other infrastructure projects here.

At present, it was observed that the road, indeed is better off than it was a year or two years ago.   He said that presently construction of the asphalt road from Guiuan poblacion is undergoing and only the remaining seven kilometer is being done as attributed by the visible piles of construction materials by the roadsides.

Likewise, Domingo added that the Airport parking space is also next in line of his infrastructure program as well as the rehabilitation of the then American’s water facility in Guiuan through the Guiuan Water Works Authority.  He disclosed that there are still gigantic pipes and wells left by the US soldiers of WWII, and should they still be fit for rehab, then it could be of big help to the project.

Another very important infra that he is headed to implement, Domingo said is the construction of Sub-Power Corporation right in Calicoan to alleviate the problem of power failure or brownouts.  But what excited most to the media was Domingo’s assurance about the installation of cellsites in the island which is set to happen in two months time, he said.

In closing the Presidential Assistant assured that President Arroyo is also set to issue an Executive Order which will declare Calicoan Resort a Tourist Destination.

Aside from the 8-storey American-owned hotel that is about to begin construction, some Koreans were also present during the launching who assured the media of the same business endeavor that they will indulge in two or three months time.

The same land area of 11 hectares have likewise been bought by these Korean businessmen where they intend to put up hotel facilities, it was gathered.

In a separate interview, Atty. Manuel Go, the so called “initiator” and Calicoan discoverer which he said he did some 20 years ago, revealed that he is also establishing a subdivision in the area and while the hotel room may be too expensive for ordinary Filipinos, some local businessmen will be putting up affordable hotels in the area.