Robredo pushes for increase in infra budget for island province of Catanduanes

Vice President and presidential aspirant Leni Robredo on Wednesday said she will work on increasing the budget for infrastructure projects for Catanduanes, given that the island province is always heavily battered by typhoons.

"We will asses how can we link Catanduanes to mainland kasi ‘di ba, lalo ‘pag bagyo, naaano talaga, nahihiwalay ‘yung Catanduanes, lalo pa ‘pag malakas ‘yung alon, walang flights. Talagang mahirap (because when there is a typhoon, the island is cut off from everything, waves are so strong and there are no flights as a result)," Robredos said during a visit to Catanduanes.

"For a very long time, there has been a proposal to build a bridge, [from here] en route to Caramoan... we will revisit this proposal because this will spur rural development, it will give access to the products being made here such as abaca. That bridge will bring the cost of transporting the product," Robredo added.

Likewise, Robredo said Catanduanes needs additional infrastructure projects which are resilient to typhoons instead of ones that need repair every time a typhoon ravages the island.

"There are so many things that can be done here," she added.

Robredo was in Catanduanes on Wednesday for a stationary caravan, a COVID-19 vaccine express project, meeting with her supporters, a visit to Catanduanes State University and a meeting with Bishop Manolo delos Santos and Catanduanes Representative Cesar Sarmiento. — Llanesca T. Panti/RSJ, GMA News