Calbiga town undergoes ‘economic’ workshop

By NINFA B. QUIRANTE (PIA Samar)
April 30, 2008

CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar  –  Calbiga LGU officials led by Mayor Melchor Nacario and wife Board Member Luzviminda Nacario participated in the Local and Regional Economic Development (LRED) Sensitizing Workshop on Monday at Calbiga’s Small and Medium Enterprise Development (SMED) Park or SPARK Visitors Center.

The workshop to last until April 30, is part of the implementation of the Small and Medium Enterprise Development for Sustainable Employment Promotion (SMEDSEP) Program.

DTI in partnership with the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) sponsored the workshop.

Mayor Nacario gathered all his officials and barangay leaders to participate.

DTI Regional Director Cynthia Nierras informed the participants that DTI believes in the potential of Calbiga as an emerging growth area in this part of Samar.

Added to this, she said is the presence of tourist destinations that could compare to prime tourist destinations in the country. Nierras mentioned trekking to the Calbiga caves and Lulugayan falls branded by foreigners as ‘mini Niagara’ because it is fifty meters wide and cascades down 14-kilometer rapids from the source at Lake Kalidongan.

Nierras alo mentioned the thriving business of Calbiga’s delicacy potentials used as ‘pasalubong’ by Balikbayans.

DTI Samar said that among the Samar municipalities, it was Calbiga LGU that showed interest in the social marketing done by DTI.

The LRED approach is patterned among the more successful implementations in other LGUs in the region like Ormoc City, Palompon, Carigara, Baybay City and Palo in Leyte province.

Calbiga, aside from the economic and tourism potentials also has a supportive LGU, with an organization proven with a fine track record like Currents, and other considerations that Calbiga seem to have.

The group is expected to have a rapid economic assessment wherein DTI and GTZ will facilitate.

Calbiga is the 10th LGU in the region that has undergone the LRED workshop.

After Calbiga’s turn, Catbalogan City will be next in line to attend this one of a kind workshop geared towards development.

Nierras said that implementation of the incoming projects to boost the economy should be done from 6 months to one year.