BALER, Aurora – Governor Bellaflor Angara-Castillo yesterday lambasted the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for providing “very meager support” to the province and instead prioritize bigger and wealthier provinces in Central Luzon.
During a meeting of the Regional Development Council here, Angara-Castillo said DA Regional Director Andrew Villacorta and DPWH Regional Director Antonio Molano Jr. allegedly ignored the more urgent needs of Aurora and provided more funding assistance for projects in the provinces of Pampanga, Bulacan and Tarlac.
“Aurora is the poorest, youngest province yet instead of getting priority attention, you are giving aid to big provinces,” the governor told Villacorta in the presence of RDC chairman, City of San Fernando (Pampanga) Mayor Oscar Rodriguez and fellow governors Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. of Zambales and Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado of Bulacan.
She also turned to Molano who, he said, is “looking elsewhere” when it comes to developing road networks in provinces in Central Luzon.
“If only you care to develop the roads leading to Aurora, then we could have improved the economic conditions of our province,” Angara-Castillo stressed.
“Kung sino ang malakas sa taas ‘yon ang inuuna ninyo (Whoever has connections to the powers-that-be you give priority),” she said.
Angara-Castillo reacted after Villacorta showed a report on the status of rehabilitation programs for rice and corn lands being made by DA in areas affected by typhoons “Pedring” and “Quiel” in the region.
Villacorta said 306,067.59 hectares of ricelands in the region were affected where they delivered 71,576 bags of certified seeds and 44,561 bags of hybrid seeds.
The DA delivered 1,006 bags of certified seeds in Aurora but not a single bag of hybrid seeds.
Angara-Castillo said while there were allocations based on the DA report, these have not reached the province.
“Bag na nga lang hindi pa dumadating? Me butas ba ‘yung mga bag ninyo (These are only bags yet they have not arrived. Why, do your bags have holes),” she said.
Villacorta tried to defend himself but was restrained by Rodriguez.
Villacorta later assured Angara-Castillo that the province would receive funding assistance.
