"MARINDUQUE NEEDS LIFT AS A MAJOR TOURIST DRAW"

(Bongbong Marcos with Marinduque Gov. Bong Carrion and wife, Armi, and Vice-Gov. Tom Pizarro)

MARINDUQUE should be promoted as a major tourism destination in Luzon because of its vast resources and natural beauty, Ilocos Norte Rep. and senatorial candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Friday.

“Marinduque is known worldwide for its colorful Moriones Festival and that’s good, but it has so much more to offer in terms of world-class attractions and facilities that we must and will capitalize on to boost tourism, spur economic activities, and uplift the quality of lives of Marinduquenos,” Marcos said during a visit to the island.

“Once the Marinduque air and seaports are modernized, a larger volume of local and foreign tourists can be lured to visit its little-known but awesome white sand beaches, dive sites, trekking and hiking trails, and a climate comparable to Tagaytay,” he said.

Marcos is pushing for a bigger airport and sea port in Marinduque to allow more local and international direct flights and cruise liners to come in.

(Marcos and his children with Boac Bishop Reynaldo G. Evangelista at the Boac Cathedral)

Marcos, who engineered a tourism revival in Ilocos Norte during his term as governor, said the Marcopper mining site, shut down for years, could be redeveloped, particularly its 18-hole golf course, housing facilities and hospital building for medical tourism.

He was confident that Marinduque’s beauty, its charming people and its Moriones Festival could easily attract tourists.

(Bongbong's wife, Louis, sister, Irene M. Araneta, and his three sons.)

“Marinduque is a diamond in the rough, and I am looking forward to the chance to lead efforts to make it a key tourism destination through the establishment of modern infrastructure,” he said.

Source: manilastandardtoday.com apr.10-11,2010