Representative ‘Kalsada’

By RODRIGO S. VICTORIA (PIA Biliran)
January 15, 2008

NAVAL, Biliran  –  Barely more than six months in office as Representative of the Lone  District of Biliran, Atty. Glenn A. Chong has already earned the monicker as Representative ‘Kalsada’ (a local term for road).

The young legislator never hesitated to admit in a regular Kapihan sa PIA at Radyo Natin-Naval the newfound name because this is what he is fondly called now by heads of government offices at the central offices in Manila whenever he goes to these agencies asking for funds for the completion of the remaining 53 kilometers of unpaved circumferential road in the province of Biliran.

The completion of the province’s unpaved road was his major campaign promise and he cannot afford to fail the 36,097 Biliranons who gave their trust and confidence to him during the May 14, 2007 elections. Much more that he offered himself to be stoned whenever he fails to deliver his major campaign promise within his three-year term that ends on June 30, 2010.

That major campaign promise of the neophyte solon is now most likely the major driving factor and the adrenalin for him to work with vigor and enthusiasm as a legislator and for him to show to the Biliranons his sincerity and truthfulness in bringing the aspirations and dreams of every Biliranons for a better Biliran under his watch.

For Representative Chong, the completion of the remaining unpaved circumferential road of the district is the key and catalyst to the full and stable development of the province.

He opined that one of the big contributing factors in the progress of any place or in Biliran province in particular is its good road network where farmers can easily transport their goods to the market without too much hassle and at a lesser transportation cost.

“Having a good road network is essential in the province of Biliran considering that the province’s economy is more dependent on agriculture,” Rep. Chong said.

One thing for sure, he said, tourism industry in the province will get a big boost since local and foreign tourists will no longer find it hard to travel to the different attractive tourist destinations mostly located in the eastern part of the province where a big chunk of the unpaved road is found specifically the road network linking the municipalities of Biliran, Cabucgayan, Caibiran, Culaba and Kawayan.

“A good road network is a major compliment to boost the tourism industry in a province labeled by many as an “island paradise” because of its still untouched natural beauties like the cascading waterfalls, pristine white beaches and other beauties of nature only found in Biliran province,” he added. 

The young legislator foresees tourism industry in the province to be one of the main sources of livelihood for the Biliranons in the near future once its circumferential road will be completed.

He added that a good road network also invites investment opportunities to pour in a place like Biliran province where so many investment opportunities are just lurking in the corner waiting to be tapped and developed.

Atty. Chong proudly said that Biliran province is gifted by God not only with natural beauties but also with bountiful natural resources where one can utilize for some business venture like the world’s renowned sweetest water in the world found in Barangay Tomalistis in Caibiran recorded in the Guiness Book of World’s Records.

“This is not only an added tourist attraction but again a avenue for business especially to those who are engage in the business of producing bottled mineral water,” he proudly said.

Aside from this universal gift of nature, Biliran at present is being considered by the Department of Energy (DOE) as a potential site of geothermal energy with an estimated 20-40 megawatts production capacity.

With all these promising industries in Biliran province just waiting in the corner for a good road network for its development, Rep. Chong candidly said that he is never ashamed to ask funds for the remaining unpaved circumferential road of the province that cost him even that famous monicker Representative ‘Kalsada’ because he believes this is the only way to keep his promise to the Biliranons.

He disregard being called that way because according to him, this is one way of alleviating the lives of the Biliranons from the clutches of poverty where he greatly lamented with the fact that the district he represented is the sole province in Eastern Visayas that belongs to the 10 poorest of the poor provinces in the country at present.

His constant knocking on the doorsteps in the different possible sources of funds does not stop only in the concerned government agencies but rather he brings his cause to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo by appealing and requesting to her the release of some P700 million which is enough to complete the pavement of the province’s circumferential road.

Lately, Representative Chong has realigned a P50 million worth of road surfacing project intended for Biliran province to road concreting plus he allocated the remaining funds of his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) commonly called as “pork barrel” for the period July 1 to December 31, 2007 for the concreting of a considerable length of road linking the Culaba-Kawayan, Caibiran-Culaba, Biliran-Cabucgayan and the Cross Country road sections.

For the 34 years old legislator, he firmly believes in a statement coming from an officer of World Bank, the country’s major foreign creditor for the different infrastructure projects including road projects in a conference he attended called for by the world financial institution which goes that “give a place a good road network and development will surely follows.”

With still plenty of time left at his disposal within his term and who was considered by many as the budding embodiment of a brand new politics, the realization of his major dream – the completion of the concreting of the province circumferential road is always at the forefront in all of his undertakings geared towards uplifting the lives of his fellow Biliranons.

His youthful countenance may have been likened to that of a road by government officials whom he always asked with an honest plea like “give us better roads” really shows the sincerity and thoughtfulness deep inside him in his big dream for Biliran.