SILAY CITY - President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo yesterday outlined the gains of her administration in interlinking Central Philippines through airports and nautical highways to provide it with a competitive edge as a world class tourism destination.

"Together we shall make Central Philippines a beacon for business and tourism. Let's push on with greater solidarity and focus," she said. The president, who spoke at an Infrastructure and Investment Conference on the Central Philippines Super Region at the New Bacolod-Silay Airport here, attended by members of her Cabinet and Central Philippines officials, also said "We must invest in vital infrastructure that is the backbone of a modern nation."

She cited billions of pesos spent on ports, roads, roll-on-roll-off facilities, energy reliability and airport projects that will spur travel and tourism from Iloilo to the islands of Negros, Cebu, Camiguin- Mindanao, Palawan, Bohol and Bicol.

In her last State of the Nation Address, Arroyo said she unveiled the theme of the super regions to bring the concentration of growth out of Metro Manila.

"It was not just a state of the nation gimmick, it is a concept that will be carried all the way to 2010," she said.

The President said that 55 percent of the tourists who visit the country go to Central Philippines, with Boracay as a top overall destination and Cebu as a top destination for foreign tourists, and that is how we will plan the rest of Central Philippines, she added.*CPG

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