By Perla Lena
BALANGIGA, Eastern Samar, (PNA) — President Benigno S. Aquino III will spend his remaining two years and nine months in office serving his constituents and make them feel proud being a Filipino.
This was highlighted by Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio B. Coloma before a large audience in this town that gathered for the commemoration of the 112th Balangiga Encounter Day on Sept 28.
Coloma said the President is ready to serve and defend the Balangigan-ons should they be in danger just like what he did in Zamboanga City when he stayed there for 10 days.
Coloma was the guest of honor and speaker during the program to remember the heroism of the Balangigan-ons who fought the oppressive troops of the United States on Sept 28, 1901.
The event was dubbed as the “worst defeat” of the US troops in the Philippines.
Coloma, meantime, disclosed that the Aquino administration has allotted one-half of the 400 million dollars Millennium Challenge Fund to finance road development projects in Samar Island.
Once the project is completed, it will make travel to the island easier, thus resulting to the development of Samar Island that will also benefit Balangiga town.
He stressed that there is no reason for Samar Island to remain in the quagmire of poverty with its rich resources.
Eastern Samar, one of the provinces of Samar Island where Balanginga is located, ranked third among the country’s poorest provinces and number one in Eastern Visayas.
He added that what is lacking is for everyone working together to tap and enhance its resources even as he underscored the need for “healing” to achieve a peace of mind.