Marcos vows to develop Caraga amid flooding, landslides

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (Photo from his Facebook account)

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday vowed to develop the Caraga Region after it was struck by a series of calamities.

Caraga suffered from widespread flooding and landslides following rains caused by the trough of a low-pressure area (LPA). An earthquake also struck Agusan Del Sur in early February.

READ: Phivolcs: Magnitude 5.8 earthquake rocks Agusan del Sur

“I am here to give my strong guarantee that in the New Philippines, we will wholeheartedly do these: Develop Dinagat. Advance Surigao. Forward Agusan. Not just by the government but by all of us,” Marcos said during a land distribution ceremony in Agusan Del Sur.

READ: Mindanao agri damage exceeds P500M due to LPA trough

Marcos said that the region was full of rich resources and that the next generation should be able to enjoy the benefits.

“I make that vow because as a region rich in resources, you do not only deserve it.  Above all, it is a shared responsibility we owe to our children, a deliverable to the next generation that we cannot fail,” he said.

During the ceremony, the president led the turnover of 3,184 land titles to over 2,769 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries, which covers 4,659 hectares of agricultural land in the Caraga region.

Farm machinery was also turned over to the farmers.

The number of people affected by the trough of the low pressure area (LPA) that inundated Mindanao has climbed to 1,603,514, the Department of Social Welfare and Development reported last Wednesday.

READ: Why the frequent floods, and how to prevent them