CATBALOGAN CITY – An official of Samar, one of the poorest provinces in the country, issued an appeal to its people to pay their taxes, patronize their own products and plant more for food sufficiency.
By doing so, the province could withstand all the challenges that would come its way, Board Alvin Abejuela (2nd district) said.
Abejuela made this appeal during a speech on Monday (August 6) in a program in a run-up for the Samar Day celebration on August 11.
“Our province can withstand challenges if we all cooperate by paying our taxes, plant our idle land in order to achieve food security, buy our own products to encourage farmers and producers to plant and produce more,” he said.
“We must also promote Spark Samar to domestic and international tourists to collate economic activity in our community,” he added.
“Let us make impact for our Samar province and this is the essence of Samar Day,” Abejuela said.
Spark Samar is a provincial government initiated program under Governor Sharee Ann Tan focusing on tourism to help economic development in the province.
Among the highlights of the one-week Samar Day celebration activities are the search for Mutya ng Samar this August 9, with 14 candidates representing their respective locality vying for the most coveted crown and the Tandaya Festival of Festivals showdown and festival street dance competition on August 11.
The Samar Provincial Hospital also lined up activities for the week-long celebration that includes health and wealth day; a medical and dental mission from August 3 and 7; medical mission in Barangay Guinsorongan in August 6; health on wheels in Motiong town on August 8 and Paranas on August 10 focusing on proper tooth brushing an oral examination and a midwife forum on childhood immunization on August 9.
Samar province previously celebrated Samar Day every November 10 to commemorate and was transferred to August 23 in the 1970s.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
