CEBU - After she chided the officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways during her visit to the Cebu North Coastal Road Project in Mandaue City, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo yesterday kept herself busy by inaugurating multi-million road projects in San Remigio and Aloguinsan towns.
In San Remigio, Arroyo, accompanied by fourth district Rep. Benhur Salimbangon and Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, conducted an aerial inspection of the already finished Luyang-Victoria-Kinawahan section of the Antonio Y De Pio Highway on board a helicopter. The 2,793.36-meter project, which costs P30.61 million, was only started on June 1, 2008 and was completed on January 1 this year.
After the aerial inspection, Arroyo then proceeded to Hagnaya Port where hundreds of residents welcomed her. Cebu Port Authority general manager Angelo Verdan briefed her on the completed P69-million worth dredging of hard rock materials and installation of lighted markers at the port.
Out of the P69 million, Verdan said P33 million was spent for the first phase and another P36 million for the second phase. He said the first phase was completed in 2005 for about five months but due to the solid rock formation in the Hagnaya Channel, the original contractor backed out prompting CPA to revise the project.
The second phase of the project begun in January 2008 and was completed in the last week of December last year.
Salimbangon, in a press conference, said the project will benefit more than 150,000 residents from Bantayan Island who can now easily transport and sell their products like eggs, meat and dried fish in the mainland.
He recalled that in 2001, eleven people, including a municipal councilor died when a motorized banca capsized while it ferries passengers from the vessel to Hagnaya port.
Salimbangon further briefed President Arroyo on the development of the rehabilitation/ construction of Bogo-Curva-Medillin-Daanbantayan-Maya Road, which is already 75 percent completed as of January 10.
The 2,698-meter infrastructure project has a total cost of P39,243,905.54. Salimbangon said the project will not only complement the Nautical Highway Program of the President but will also greatly contribute in the tourism industry because Northern Cebu is known for its coastal resorts and island beaches. Likewise, he said the concreting of the said national road would improve the accessibility considering that it is an entry point of the Ro-Ro Port that is currently constructed by the Philippine Ports Authority.
From the north, President Arroyo flew by chopper to the southern part of Cebu to the town of Aloguinsan where she inaugurated P45.7-million road project in barangay Baja. The cloudy weather has delayed her arrival by at least two hours from the original schedule but the president was seem in a good mood she greeted the school children, government employees and residents of Aloguinsan and adjacent towns who welcomed her.
Together with the officials of the DPWH and local government, Arroyo made an inaugural motorcade along the 2.3 kilometers cemented road that completed the 29- kilometer concreted portion of the Toledo City, Pinamungahan, Aloguinsan and Mantalongon (TPAM) road stretch. — Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon, Ferliza C. Contratista and Christopher Gabriel Bonjoc/WAB (THE FREEMAN)