Wanted: a senator from Eastern Visayas

Philippine Daily InquirerColumnist Rina Jimenez-David, in her June 24 column, quoted Ladlad senior party adviser Boy Abunda that should he decide to run for office, he would “prefer to run in his home province of Eastern Samar.”

I would suggest to Abunda that he run instead for the Senate to represent Eastern Visayas. There is not a single representative from our region among the present members of the Senate.

Our region is famous for its overabundance of geothermal power, which is much more than enough to provide for all the country’s power needs. We also have abundant marine, mineral and forest resources.

Above all, we have hardy and industrious people who have proven their worth and manliness through the examples of Sumoroy, the legendary World War II heroes Col. Ruperto Kangleon, Maj. Alejandro Balderian, as well as the men who handed the Americans their worst defeat in the Filipino-American War in the historic Balangiga Massacre.

Properly channeled, the energy and enthusiasm of our people could be used for peaceful and productive purposes in livelihood projects.

It is unfortunate that although countryside development is the most effective approach in our national efforts for economic recovery, this particular aspect has been taken for granted. Nowhere is this oversight more blatant than in our very depressed region.

A major reason for this is we do not have a senator to look after our overall regional interests.

We do have our congressmen, but I’m afraid that all of them are preoccupied with their own limited interests.

Because of our abundant natural resources and tremendous human potentials, we need at least two senators who will provide an overall coherent leadership in harnessing our potentials.

They need not necessarily be residing in our region, but they should be credibly identified with Eastern Visayas.

Their militancy for the welfare of our region and their dynamism can create a multiplier impact on our region and provide the vision and magnetism for our local leaders to follow.

—AURELIO D. MENZON,
former Leyte vice governor
and president, Katiguban Samerenos
Ha Leyte (Kasale), Tacloban City