The founder of the Olang Arts Center in the town of Maria, Siquijor, lamented what she regards as inaction and lack of concern on the part of officials of Maria headed by Mayor Rebecca Padayhag and Gov. Orlando Shane Fua Jr. to address the peace and order problem in the area.

Eufemia Solomon-Crouse was referring to the investigations of recent burglary and robbery incidents involving several tourists and visual artists from the University of the Philippines Manila.

On May 17, an unidentified man barged into the rooms of Crouse’s visitors, Camille Dela Rosa, Ethyl Dimakuha, St Benilde Lasalle Prof. Vincent Padilla, Cristel Padilla, Maan Macaway and artists from Dumaguete City, and took valuable items worth about P300,000.

They had come from Manila to Siquijor to witness the ribbon-cutting of the Olang Arts Center, and brought with them expensive cameras, laptops and  iPods. They were billeted at the Agriono Hotel in Salagdoong beach in Maria, where they lost all their work of arts. 

Crouse said the governor promised to do something to retrieve the valuable items, but after more than four months have passed and  no charges have been filed.

Crouse refuted claims that there is zero crime rate in Siquijor, stressing that what was reported may not be the real picture in the island, and that, something has to be done, to include the problem of illegal drugs and illegal gambling.

The success story of Siquijor was featured in a program called “Pusong Pinoy,” Crouse said, and she does not want to put the island province in a bad light, but urged the provincial leadership to open their eyes and work with the private sector to protect the tourists, balikbayans and islanders as well.*JG

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