BORONGAN CITY – Former Eastern Samar Governor Marcelo Ferdinand Picardal has pledged to implement his poverty alleviation program, Proyekto 25, in this city if elected mayor, aiming to reduce both poverty incidence and food prices in the province.

Picardal highlighted the success of Proyekto 25 during his brief term as provincial governor, which helped lift Eastern Samar out of the list of the ten poorest provinces in the country. He assumed the governorship in 2018 after the illness and eventual death of Governor Conrado Nicart Jr.

When Picardal took office, Eastern Samar had a poverty incidence of 49.5%, ranking fourth highest in the country. His administration introduced Proyekto 25, which aimed to bring down the poverty rate to 25% by 2025. Although the province’s poverty incidence stood at 35.6% in 2023, it still marked significant progress, though it remains the highest in the Eastern Visayas region.

Proyekto 25 targeted the poorest barangays, organizing the most vulnerable families into clusters and providing them with livelihood opportunities such as hog raising, egg production, and access to shared farming equipment.

Picardal now plans to replicate this program in Borongan City, stating that high food prices, particularly for fruits, vegetables, pork, and fish, are due to a lack of local government support for farmers and fishermen.

"Our farmers are facing direct competition with products from outside the province and struggling due to the absence of support from the local government," he said.

Picardal hopes his program will better protect local producers and lower food costs for Borongan residents.