Aurora farmlands to be developed for agribusiness

DINGALAN, Aurora — President Arroyo has vowed to prioritize the development of 500,000 hectares of lands in the northern portion of the province for agribusiness ventures.

In a speech following an ocular inspection of the P1.5-billion Tarlac-Nueva Ecija-Dingalan Port Road (TNEDPR) in Barangay Aplaya last week, the President said she has instructed Public Works and Highways Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. to enter into an agreement with the Department of Agriculture (DA) whereby the DPWH may use the Agriculture Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF) in financing agribusiness development in Casiguran town in northern Aurora.

Mrs. Arroyo said the ACEF would be used to fund the concreting of the 120-kilometer Baler-Casiguran  Road.

The provincial government of Aurora, under Gov. Bellaflor Angarala-Castillo, is committing P100 million as its counterpart fund.

The TNEDPR is a west-east connection that would link the Manila North Road (MNR), and the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTex) project through a 120.65-kilometer arterial road and airport/seaport connection that would link the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) to Dingalan Port.

Lorelei Fajardo, the presidential assistant for Central Luzon, said the project will give rise to trans-Asia cargo/product shipment and propel the engines of the country’s economic growth.

Transportation and Communications Undersecretary for the maritime sector Leonila Bautista said the port road project would be completed in the first quarter of 2010.   — Manny Galvez