Officials of the four towns in the Camotes group of islands in the 5th District remained loyal to former governor Gwendolyn Garcia in the last elections. But this is also partly because Duke Frasco has remained the 5th District representative. Duke took control of the district that was long politically dominated by the Duranos of Danao City. He is from Liloan town, which is also in the 5th District, and is married to Gwendolyn’s daughter Christina.
The main town in Camotes in the past was Poro, which is located on the island of the same name. But that distinction has been taken over by San Francisco town, which is located on an island that is more endowed with natural resources compared with the other Camotes towns. This has become a dilemma for Poro, whose town center is located in a narrow strip of plain where the port built with the help of the National Government years ago is located.
The Poro town center is at the hemline of Poro island’s mountain range. The narrowness of the plains in the town center has made it difficult for its urban growth. Still, some establishments like a bank and a pension house have been built there. But unless the problem is addressed, the Poro town center could never compare with that in San Francisco, whose town center sits in a wide sprawl.
If the new governor, Pam Baricuatro, wants to win over the hearts and minds of Porohanons, one good project would be to reclaim the town center and make it an urban center. I remember that the same setup was once a problem for Naga town, whose municipal hall was built on the town’s narrow center. But after the Chiongs embarked on a reclamation project, Naga has become an urban center that includes a boardwalk, a modern plaza and commercial establishments that has made the town a center in the 1st District.
When we visited Camotes recently, I purposely went at dawn to the Poro port area to observe the sea vessel moored there. The boat plies the Liloan to Poro route daily. As I stood in the port area, I noticed the tarpaulins left hanging even if the election was over. Those tarpaulins featured the image of Garcia, who lost to Baricuatro. Those tarpaulins can be replaced by those that have the image of Baricuatro announcing a reclamation project to be funded by the Provincial Capitol and the National Government.
A wider Poro town center would benefit not only the San Francisco tourism area but also the other Camotes towns and would restore the position of Poro as the said group of islands’ main urban center. The reclamation area can even reach the famous Buho resort and make the place a tourist attraction that is easily accessible from the town center and the port area. This means that Poro town officials should work hand in hand with Baricuatro and the National Government because the town certainly can’t do this on its own. Poro needs all the help it can get even from those personalities that are not aligned with them politically. The benefits from this project will surely outweigh anything else.