JUBAN MAYOR JIMMY FRAGATA, KEEN ON PROMOTING ECO-TOURISM IN HIS DISASTER-RAVAGED TOWN

News Release

Juban, Sorsogon - Mayor Jimmy Fragata has a typical routine of touring his visitors with his notable data presentations of calamity episodes, but particularly accentuates on eco-tourism advancing Juban town, not as a municipality well-known for disasters.

In an exclusive interview, the town’s mayor articulated not only on the imperative backing wishes of his townsfolk who suffered the rage of Mount Bulusan and the intense rains from late December 2010 to January this year, which submerged more than a few barangays in Juban, Sorsogon.

The Sangguniang Bayan collectively approved Resolution Number 51 declaring the Municipality of Juban under a state of calamity on December 30, 2010 attributable to the upshots of severe rain, flashflood, landslide and lahar intimidations brought about by the volcanic activity.

The decree correspondingly stated that the Local Government Unit of the aforesaid town deemed it necessary to take measures with the purpose of evacuating the residents in distress; allocate relief assistance for internally displaced persons (IDP’s), and the local officials considered the legal course of action to release the needed budget from the LGU’s calamity fund.

Mayor Fragata also stated that agriculture is one of their sources of revenue and declaring a state of calamity continually sustains the predicament among farmers in his disaster-ravaged town.

In his classic documentations - Fragata, also a certified geologist, described Juban as a 4^th class rural community with a populace of 30 thousand plus residing in 8 coastal and 17 upland barangays situated within the caldera of the 4^th most active volcano in the Philippines; in addition are chronologically comprehensive volcanic eruption statistics and the impacts of ash ejection from November 6 of last year’s to February 21 this year and on which he said in jest, “nice to see, but dangerous”; damage scenarios of barangays located inside the 4 kilometer permanent danger zone (PDZ); as well as the municipal effect of excessive rains (ITCZ) beginning December of 2010, and at the moment’s risk for 13 barangays close to the Cadac-an River which is the catch basin of water overload coming from Juban and the adjacent town of Irosin’s watercourses.

But, the town’s mayor remained optimistic and alongside his visual presentations are constant scenic images of Juban’s innate prospective.

Besides historical relics akin to the Bicol translation of Mi Ultimo Adios (Huring Paaram) by Governor Jose Figueroa and the Gorospe, Guarin, Olondriz, Alindogan and Lasala heritage homes (Bahay Bato Old Houses) - Mayor Jimmy Fragata at the moment prides himself on the quiet island of Sablayan (barangay Sablayan), which is a 20-minute boat ride from barangay Tinago, Juban.

Isla Sablayan is a land mass down Sorsogon Bay which faces the China Sea, with a total population of 958 counting on fishing and copra as their foremost source of income.

The picturesque islet is a haven for marine life and an ultimate destination for nature aficionados who fancy the solitude of a remote vacation.

On top of these, Mayor Fragata said that he wants the public to keep in mind that his town is “a place to go” because of its very promising eco-tourist destinations. (Von Labalan-PIO/PIA)