Roxas goes on aid blitz in ‘Yolanda’-ravaged areas

ROXAS CITY, Philippines—Interior Secretary Mar Roxas on Saturday capped a whirlwind three-day visit to areas devastated by Super Typhoon Yolanda by leading the groundbreaking rites for two multimillion-peso infrastructure projects in his home province of Capiz.

Since his arrival in Tacloban City in Leyte province on Thursday, Roxas—widely seen as the Liberal Party’s (LP) candidate for president in 2016—had distributed over P1 billion in financial aid for the rehabilitation of typhoon-stricken communities in the Visayas.

Standard bearer

Roxas also announced that the national government had earmarked nearly P4 billion more for the towns ravaged by Yolanda in Eastern and Western Visayas under the Grassroots Participatory Budget Process, a new funding initiative of the Aquino administration.

Roxas is strongly touted to be the next LP standard bearer after he stepped aside in 2010 in favor of then Sen. Benigno S. Aquino III, who became the more viable candidate following the death of his mother, former President Corazon Aquino.

This early, the 2016 presidential derby appears to be off and running following opposition leader Vice President Jejomar Binay’s announcement some time ago of his own presidential ambition.

‘President Mar’

“Thank you, president Mar Roxas,” said Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya, addressing Roxas after the latter introduced Abaya as the guest speaker at the groundbreaking for the Philippine Coast Guard’s Search and Rescue (SAR) base in Barangay (village) Culasi here.

“He is the president of our party and of our future plans and endeavors,” Abaya quickly followed up, drawing cheers from the crowd.

Later, after inspecting a new building in the Coast Guard compound, Roxas was met by a group of about 20 local residents chanting: “Kay Mar Roxas kami (we’re for Mar Roxas).”

Visibly surprised, Roxas smiled but politely asked them to stop.

Reap and sow

Abaya also gave the credit to Roxas for the idea of putting the SAR base in the area, telling the audience it was actually the interior secretary who had pointed out to him the benefits of erecting a base there, noting the port’s strategic location in the waters of the Visayas.

“It was Secretary Roxas who planted, harvested and cooked the rice. It so happened I was at the table to eat it,” said Abaya, alluding to a Filipino saying about someone else reaping what another had sown.

Abaya succeeded Roxas at the Department of Transportation and Communications after the latter was transferred to the Department of the Interior and Local Government by President Aquino following the untimely death of Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo in August 2012.

Connectivity

Later in the day, Roxas and Abaya joined Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson at the inauguration of the Culasi Bridge, an integral part of the proposed P140-million circumferential road that would link Capiz and Iloilo.

Singson said the four-lane national highway that would speed up travel between the two provinces could only be realized with the help of the local government units on Panay island.

“We want to have a smooth connectivity all over Panay island and we’re very happy that we’re getting the support we need led by the governors, congressmen and your very own Secretary Mar Roxas,” Singson said at the ceremony.