Siruma, Camarines Sur--- Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo received warm applause and loud cheers from the constituents of this coastal town after announcing that a satellite broadband will be installed in this municipality as part of her legacy program in modernizing the educational system.
Mrs. Arroyo made the statement before a jam-packed crowd at Siruma High School Sports Complex held May 13, barely two days after the conduct of the first successful automated election in the country. The visit was part of her legacy tour in various learning institutions, particularly those located in the countryside.
Hon. Nonito Vier said that Mrs. Arroyo's visit came as a surprise. "For a small, coastal town to be visited for the first time by the highest official of the land, is indeed one of the greatest honor for all of us-and to think that a few days from now, her term of office as our president will already expire."
Mrs. Arroyo in her speech said that the her administration have already done so much to improve the educational system yet thinks that more is still to be done. "We already have a lot of gains in education, we have constructed classrooms and we have provided our teachers with trainings but I would like to reiterate the need to modernize our educational system by having available internet access to all our teachers, particularly our students."
The municipality of Siruma, dubbed as Camarines Sur's hidden paradise, still lags behind when it comes to modernization. Located at the northern portion of the province, this little coastal town is hardly reached by investors due to the bad road network that connects its constituents to the nearest city. This 5th Class Municipality is approximately 85 kilometers away from Naga City.
Apparently, the Mrs. Arroyo was able to learn about the woes of frequent travelers, and have promised that a separate budget will be allocated for the re-blocking and maintenance of the Siruma road.
Mrs. Arroyo also scored on her advocacy to lower the cost of medicine and make them affordable by establishing Botika ng Barangays in various municipalities all over the country. In Siruma alone, there are already nine (9) botika ng barangays since 2005. They are situated at Barangays Poblacion, Pamintan, Salvacion, Nalayahan, Tandoc, San Ramon, Vito , Fundado and at Matandang Siruma.
After her speech, Mrs. Arroyo visited several stalls tagged as "Tindahan ng Palengke, formerly referred to as "Tindahan ni Gloria" and Botika ng Barangays situated at Siruma's Poblacion Area. (LIZEL MACATANGAY / PIA-CAMARINES SUR)