Governor Patrick Alain T. Azanza clapped back at what he described as “paid fake news peddlers” who he claimed are not sending the right messages to the people, especially tourists.
In his message during the Catanduanes Tourism Recognition for Establishments and Stakeholders (CatRES) awards night at ARDCI Hotel last Sept. 29, 2026, the provincial chief executive said all the attacks being thrown out by just a few people do not contribute to what the government is doing in the tourism sector.
“Hopefully, these things will be corrected and it’s going to be soon,” Azanza stated, stressing that what his administration is doing to make sure the tourism sector is receiving the right support is a serious job for a governor who is not really a politician.
He bared that he was out distributing free maintenance medicines paid out of the P30 million confidential fund of the governor when he decided to cut it short just to join the event honoring tourism stakeholders.
On his frequent travels to the metropolis, the governor said these travels always have a return on investment, with his batting average about 90-95 percent in most cases.
“When I travel, I always post who I am talking with and how much we got in terms of pledges. And months after, we also post if it already happened and the promise was realized. If it did not, and if the promise was not realized, then so be it,” he stressed.
Citing a recent incident where a falling piece of ceramic tile detached from the wall of a public restroom and nearly fell on a woman, Azanza said his administration would undertake a facelift of the provincial capitol building, describing it as one of the ugliest he has seen in his travel around the Philippines and in 54 countries.
As to those who dare to ask about development, the governor said there is development because this development is for the people and it is not owned by one family at least.
“And when there’s perfect competition, it is the locals, the tourists that would benefit because price will go down. Everything will be affordable,” he emphasized.
Opportunities now are being made for Catandunganons, who before had no chance of owning their own businesses because the one who occupies the seat of power wants to own and run everything according to their whims and caprices, he added.
He shared with the tourism industry the growing confidence of the business sector in Catanduanes, citing the opening of the LCC branch when he became governor.
The governor revealed that he has already signed the notice of award for the lease of the old JMA Building, with the government earning around P150,000 a month with an escalation rate of 5% every year, equivalent to a million pesos of extra income for the province.
Definitely, a bigger LCC will rise there and they plan to put up stores in every municipality with available 300 square meters of land, he said.
“Puregold is coming in, first in Virac, and if there are other property owners who have extra 300 to 500 square meters, they’ll also put up smaller Puregold branches. And they’re interested in Viga and Pandan, I think,” he added.
“The third brand is 7-Eleven, we already have the franchise for all municipalities. And the first one that is going to rise and it’s being prepared now is right at the Island Red Hotel, owned by the family of Mayor Olog Tabligan,” the chief executive stated.
“I’m just giving you a picture of what’s about to happen towards the end of my term. I’m only here for three years. I don’t desire to be re-elected as governor because God gave me three years,” Azanza revealed.
He averred that he will only look at three years and not have ambitions of being reelected, because the moment he does, corruption and greed will come in.
“Now, I can face anybody. Those who criticize me, I can tell them. Who cares? I’m not running anyway. But I’ll do what is right. And I don’t care about your vote because I’ll do what is right for this province,” the neophyte chief executive stressed.
He said that his administration is on the right path and it wants Catanduanes to experience for once the things that they never experienced for the last two decades, including the freedom to act without anybody threatening them.
“Dati mag-post ka ning diit, aban-aban igwa nang ga-text sa imo, hari pa sa Capitolyo. Tatakoton ka, sasabihan ka na ang ina mo, ama mo, tugang mo, nagatrabaho uya, o dai, maapektaran,” the governor pointed out.
“You’re no longer experiencing that here in Catanduanes now. You’re under a new administration. And that freedom must be protected. And we’ll go beyond that. In the next three years, you will see more that will be coming in even if the naysayers keep saying “imposible,” he said.
The critics even dare to insinuate that there might be some hanky-panky in the biddings but those 11 buses becoming 12 is something like a slap on their faces, Azanza declared.
“Because that’s the truth. And that never happened under the administration of those being protected by these paid fake news peddlers. Shame on them. And I can say that because I rule this province with integrity. In the same way that I govern with the same gratitude honor and justice that every Catandunganon so deserves,” he said further.