GMA back in Aklan in April 15

By Odon S. Bandiola

Kalibo , Aklan — Even before she can wind up his provincial visit in Aklan on March 4,   President Gloria Macapagl -Arroyo has announced she will be coming back to Aklan on April 15, 2005.

Arroyo said she will grace with her presence the ground breaking ceremonies of Shangrila Hotel in Boracay and witness the first meeting of the Eminent Persons Group in the resort island.

In an interaction with the local media last Friday ,   Arroyo has publicly acknowledged the composition of Eminent Persons Group she created through Executive Order No. 377 issued on October 2004.

She revealed that the Eminent Persons Group will be led by renowned businessmen of the country ,   Fred Elizalde and Iñigo Zobel .

Arroyo however stressed that the body is more of a policy advisory and coordinative body to oversee the sustainable development of the island erasing fears in many sectors here that the group will usurp the powers of local government units over Boracay .

The President also assured those displaced by the January 22 monstrous fire in the island that their permanent relocation site had been already identified and maybe ready within next month.

Arroyo said that the Elizaldes are ready to spare those vendors displaced some 6.8 hectares of their land in Boracay for their stalls.

The fire razed the entire Boracay Talipapa displacing hundreds of vendors ,   many of them had occupied the white beach where their temporary tent stalls were erected.

Arroyo ,   a day after the Boracay fire,   has flown to the island to personally see for herself the devastation wrought by the conflagration.