‘COAL MINING NOT FOREVER’

Panay News
May 26, 2014
BY FREDA MAE SORSANO

CALUYA Antique – The coal mining plant in Brgy. Semirara is the biggest income-generator of this first-class island town, but Mayor Genevive Lim-Reyes is also banking on its tourism and business potentials.
Last year, Caluya recorded an annual income of P328 million, a number that levels to that of Pavia, Iloilo. Of this, P235 million or 72 percent is from the revenues of the coal mining plant.
However, Reyes does not discount the possibility that Semirara Mining Corp. (SMC) might someday cease to exist.
“That is what we are always thinking about here. What will we do should the coal plant stop earning? We know that coal is not sustainable,” she said during her stint in Panay News’ Reklamo Publiko program on DyOK Aksyon Radyo-Iloilo yesterday. “That’s why I and my people are all for boosting the tourism industry in Caluya.”
Reyes added that the town’s scenic beauty, friendly people and other exotic offerings will be Caluya’s assets in reaching their tourism goals.
“We have beautiful beaches here and we are proud of them,” she said. “We have a lot of things to offer and are lucky to have nice and accommodating people,” said Reyes.
She added that in preparation, the local government is geared towards improving Caluya’s infrastructure as well as providing ease in transportation to and within the municipality.
They are also working on providing sufficient electricity and water for residents and tourists alike.
She said she is following her father’s footsteps – who had preceded her as mayor – in project implementation.
“My father – the late Reynante Lim – started all the improvements here in Caluya. He started the move for ample electricity and water supply. Subong, bastante na sa tubig ang Caluya kag 24/7 na ang kuryente,” she said.
Reyes said they are also adding more activities for the town’s yearly Tatusan Festival – Caluya’s highly-attended event – to further promote the municipality and attract more tourists.
This year is one of the biggest so far, she said, adding that the Search for Miss Caluya held last night was the highlight.
The recently-concluded festivity was also the first to invite national celebrities.
“During the first day, Meg Imperial and Dominic Roque from ABS-CBN’s Moon of Desire were here,” she said.
Tatusan Festival was named after “tatus” (coconut crab). Caluya is one of only two places in the Philippines to have such crab specie. The other one is the province of Batanes.
BUSINESS MATTERS
Most of the Caluya locals have switched to seaweed farming as primary means of livelihood as it is the most practical business here, Reyes said.
According to her, the waters of Caluya are excellent for seaweed farming, and seaweeds are easy to grow.
“Seaweed production time is only three months. Mas dasig ang income sa seaweed farming,” she said.
The seaweeds in Caluya are bigger compared to those in other provinces, shared Reyes. They are exported to other parts of the Philippines, as well as to other countries.
Seaweed is also a flexible product, according to Reyes, since it “can be made into medicine, plastic, shoes, sandals and more. It is also used as an ingredient in spa products.”
She added that women in Caluya had been thoroughly trained in making seaweed chips.
The local government unit is mulling the massive breeding of tatus to augment the town’s livelihood, according to the lady mayor.
She said two people have already expressed interest in starting such business.
“One is from a group which conducted a feasibility study on cultured tatus. The other one is Kapitan Armando Zaccharias of Brgy. Masanag,” she shared.
There are, however, foreseen problems in starting a tatus business, Reyes said, adding that breeding location is one of them.
“Tatus hide in caves,” she said. “It’s their natural habitat. Once brought to another place, they commit ‘suicide.’”
As how, she did not elaborate, but natives in the audience said it’s by starving themselves to death.
She added that coconut crabs are hard to catch, as they only get out of the caves at night to hunt for food. They also do not come out of their habitat during the rainy season.
Fishing and copra are also booming industries in Caluya.
The town is open for the popular private-public partnership in the future.
“Whoever wants to start a project or a business here that would boost tourism, we are willing to accept,” she said.
As of now, SMC is the town’s biggest partner in development, Reyes said.
“SMC helped the local government build the main roads and a bridge. They will also be our main partner in the creation of a pier that would service Caluya’s residents and tourists 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
The pier would cost approximately P53 million./PN source