BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – A landowner donated 17,755 square meters (almost 1.8 hectares) of land to the Manapla municipal government for use as access road to a port.
Jose Marquez Lim signed the Deed of Donation with Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. and Manapla Mayor Lourdes Escalante at the Sagay booth at Panaad Park Monday.
Lim said he has donated the land as his contribution to the development of Manapla. “It will become a provincial road that will benefit all of us,” he said.
The Montinola, Sayson and Jimena families have also donated land for the Punta Salong road, Escalante said.
The properties donated form part of a provincial road about 3 kilometers from the highway leading to the port being built in Punta Salong, she said.
Marañon said the cost of paving the road will be about P25 million, but an actual study will have to be conducted.
Meanwhile, the construction of the Punta Salong port, which will make travel from Manapla to Ajuy, Iloilo, easier, is underway. The mayor said, so far, P13 million has been spent on it but its total cost may be P25 million.
Geodetic engineer Eduardo Guerrero said the port is now 100 meters long but will be extended by another 100 meters.
He said works on the project have been delayed by the rains, but they are almost “70-percent done” with it. – (FREEMAN)