With the recent declaration of Davao as ‘Cacao Capital of the Philippines’, the more the provincial government and constituent of the Happy Island are pinning their hope on Senate Bill -filed by Senator Cynthia A. Villar, Chairperson, Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food Security proposing for the declaration of the Catanduanes as the ‘Abaca Capital of the Philippines’.

        This crusading community newspaper acknowledges the legislative measures filed, respectively by Cong, Hector S. Sanchez, Lone District of Catanduanes and TGP Partylist Rep. Jose J. Teves, Jr. proposing the same historic intent and purpose.

        May these two HBs filed by our distinguished solons strengthen and hasten its passage and approval by Congress and Malacanang.

       To this end and probably still in cloud nine (9) due to the resounding success of the 5th Virtual Abaca Festival 2021,  Governor Joseph C. Cua  made this ambitious but feasible forward-looking announcement: “The staging of the “Longest Rope in the World” next year when the new normal becomes better normal.

        Truly a Guinness Book of Record Guinness Book in the making, this major pronouncement by the provincial chief executive must have reverberated by now not only in the province, Bicol Region, entire abaca-producing regions in the country.

         And mind you, who knows, PORTUGAL–the second biggest-producing abaca country in the world,  whose annual abaca production pale in comparison with our output in Catanduanes even with the devastation unleashed by super howler Rolly. Hypothetically, in the event they do it without competition, we can easily and immediately break that record.

         Henceforth, this early, it would do well for Governor Cua to create a committee or technical working group (TWG) who will draft a comprehensive blueprint towards its realization while communicating this world record attempt to the ears and consciousness (read: radar screen) of the eleven (11) municipal chief executives coincidentally lead by his younger brother–San Andres Mayor Peter C. Cua, incumbent  President of the Mayors League of the Philippines (MLP), Catanduanes Chapter.

         This quest for world recognition must be conducted with dispatch before, during or after the declaration of our province as Abaca Capital of the Philippines. Caveat: BAKA MAUNAHAN TAYO! MAHIRAP NA!

         Dilly-dallying and procrastination is a big No! No! amid the alarming spike of coronavirus positive cases in the province and fast approaching May 2022 presidential and local elections.

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