The Philippine flag was hoisted on Seco Island in Tibiao, Antique in celebration of the 124th Independence Day on Sunday, June 12.
Commodore Edgar Ybañez, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG-6) district commander, and Antique Sangguniang Panlalawigan Member Victor Condez led the flag-raising ceremony.
“This is my first time to celebrate my Independence Day [on] an island at talagang memorable,” said Ybañez.
“We visited the different islands in Antique to see the problems and how the Coast Guard can help in the development of tourism in the province of Antique,” he added.
The ceremony was also attended by Tibiao tourism officer John Paul Fernando, Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO) head engineer Juliet Songcayawon, Municipal Planning and Development Coordination (MPDC) head Ramon Gregorio, Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO-Fisheries) head Jessie Benito, and Faith Bandoja-Pueda, daughter of Mayor Gil Bandoja.
“Hopefully, this activity can help address the issues and concerns [confronting] not only our tourism industry but also [the] fisheries sector,” said Fernando.
Meanwhile, Condez assured that the provincial government “will be working closely with national agencies and the local government unit (LGU) of Tibiao to restore the beauty of the island and fish productivity.”
“Even though we are facing a battle against environmental degredation, I do believe that if we work together we can come up with a great solution,” he said.
Considered as Antique’s “crown jewel,” Seco Island is a stretch of white sand surrounded by crystal clear body of water in the middle of the ocean.
Specifically, the uninhabited island is located north east of the Sulu Sea.IMT
Photo by Ian Paul Cordero/IMT NEWS
