Newly elected Albay 3rd District Rep. Raymond Adrian Salceda vowed to push for the modernization of the Albay Electric Cooperative (Aleco), a persistent problem that has hindered the progress of Albay despite its vast renewable energy potential.
Salceda also promised to work to solve the perennial water scarcity in many areas of his district and help modernize agriculture, the main source of livelihood for his constituents.
He would also bring in significant state investments in tourism infrastructure and facilities and in programs that promote agro-ecotourism in Ligao City.
“We will push to make Ligao a modern city,” he said, adding that he plans to set up his district office in Ligao, which is at the center of the third district.
He also pledged quality flood control projects in the area to solve the flooding problems that have plagued farmers whose farmlands were often inundated, especially in the towns of Oas, Polangui and Libon.
These developmentswould help advance the full internationalization of the Bicol International Airport (BIA), which is in Daraga town, he said.
This has been a top priority under the ‘Global Albay’ program plan laid out by his father, 2nd District Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, which the younger Salceda will now also pursue.
“The success of the BIA will also be the success of my district, and the entire province,” said the lawmaker, who is the outgoing Polangui mayor and president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP)-Albay Chapter.
He won the recent elections based on his strong HEART 4S platform, a strategy that also successfully propelled the growth of his town and now his district.
Salceda’s HEART 4S program focuses on H-Health; E-Education; A-Agriculture; R-Rural Infrastructure; T-Tourism, Trade and Transportation (HEART). Its 4S component includes Social Services, Senior Citizens and Solo Parents, Small and Micro Enterprises, and Sports and Youth Development.
His top priority, however, is the modernization of Aleco.
Salceda committed to help establish one substation in every municipality in the entire province, starting with his district — “so a fault in one town doesn’t affect neighboring municipalities.”
Salceda said there is a need to negotiate with Philippine Geothermal Production Company (PGPC) and the Energy Development Corporation (EDC) for microgrids in Tiwi and Manito, respectively.
Several substations in the towns of Camalig, Daraga, Santo Domingo and Rapu-rapu were already erected by the older Salceda.
The younger lawmaker said Aleco has a P1.2 billion national subsidy, as he assured he would work to secure the remaining P600 million required to complete the P1.8 billion needed for Aleco’s full modernization.
Salceda vowed to help restore direct international flights and actively court regional airlines to make BIA the secondary international gateway in South Luzon.
On port containerization, Salceda’s priorities includes the containerization of the Pantao town port to unlock the district’s real export capacity and scaling up of the Pioduran port for trade with Masbate and Quezon provinces, which will reduce shipping costs for producers and open Albay to global trade.
Salceda also pushed for the operationalization of the Pantao ecozone, which targets agri-processing, renewable energy, and export-oriented investors under CREATE MORE [Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises to Maximize Opportunities for Reinvigorating the Economy].