AS A Lawisanon who has lived part of my life abroad, and whose parents chose to work overseas to look for greener pastures, I understand the hardships endured by many Lawisanons who are separated from their loved ones and with such hesitation had to leave their beloved Madridejos behind.
In the past, it was imperative for many brilliant Lawisanons to pursue their dreams elsewhere due to the insufficient opportunities in the town. The lack of infrastructure needed to attract new investments on the island has prevented any real development in the rural barangays.
The problems of the past were the lack of opportunities and infrastructure. Sadly, these are still the major problems today.
For many years, I have watched on the sideline and seen very little progress made in Madridejos. As a Lawisanon, I am disappointed, frustrated and angry at the situation in our town. I feel that our former leaders have failed us. Their positive contributions are minute compared to the amount of damage they have caused the municipality. Their being leaders have been beneficial to them in many ways, while in return they have provided very little benefits to the people of Madridejos.
Considering that Madridejos is located on an island, and logically, the only way one can initiate real progress and development is through tourism projects, their failure to prioritize the development of the tourism industry has resulted in denying many Lawisanons their opportunities for better lives.
To this day, many Lawisanons are still traveling abroad or to neighboring cities and provinces to find prosperity. Many families are also financially dependent on their loved ones living or working overseas. Furthermore, the small businesses are feeling the negative impact of the sluggish economy of Madridejos. To top it all, the ordinary Lawisanons are barely managing to make ends meet with the steadily increasing prices of commodities and the shrinking resources available to them.
Let me remind present and future leaders that the people elect you not to make you the kings and queens of Madridejos, but to be responsible leaders who will lead their people to a better future. The administrations in the past have led us around in circles, basically leading us nowhere. With no clear direction and no political will to develop our municipality, Madridejos remains stagnant.