Isko opens refurbished Lagusnilad underpass

MANILA, Philippines — After being stalled for several months due to the coronavirus pandemic, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno led the inauguration yesterday of the newly renovated Lagusnilad underpass.

Moreno unveiled the murals around the underpass showcasing significant events in Philippine history as well as Manila’s landmarks such as Jones Bridge and the New Binondo Chinatown Arch.

He was accompanied by Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna and representatives of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and National Parks Development Committee during the opening of the underpass.

The murals were created by Marianne Rios, Jano Gonzales and Ianna Engano of the UP College of Fine Arts.

The world-class design of the underpass was the brainchild of the Architecture faculty of the University of Santo Tomas.

The signs at the entry and exit points of the underpass were made by a group from the Far Eastern University.

A former home to mendicants and street children, the Lagusnilad underpass is now equipped with closed-circuit television system to ensure the safety of pedestrians.

Moreno said the city government did not spend a single centavo for the renovation of the underpass. Private companies and the NCCA funded the P5-million project.

Personnel of the city engineering department started renovating the underpass in November last year but it was delayed due to lockdowns.

P994-M gadgets

Meanwhile, the city government of Manila will distribute 110,700 tablets, 11,000 laptops and 286,000 sim cards amounting to P994 million to students and teachers in public schools tomorrow.

Moreno handed out the gadgets yesterday to Division of City Schools representative Maria Magdalena Lim.

The gadgets will be given to teachers and students for free.

Each tablet has a SIM card with 10-gigabyte bandwidth per month and free 2GB data for YouTube.

Teachers will get laptops with pocket WiFi to help them conduct online classes.