PGMA TO INAUGURATE THREE VITAL PROJECTS IN ALBAY WEDNESDAY

LEGAZPI CITY—President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has slated a visit here and two other municipalities in Albay province tomorrow (September 30) to lead inaugural rites for various government projects, including housing, water system, sea wall and coastal road network.

President Arroyo will be met upon her arrival at the Legazpi City airport by Albay Gov. Joey Salceda, Mayor Noel Rosal, Cong. Al Francis Bichara of Albay’s second congressional district, Presidential Assistant for Bicol Tomasito Monzon, 9th ID commander Maj. Gen. Ruperto Pabustan, and PNP Bicol chief C/Supt. Ruben Padua.

The President will proceed to Polangui town to lead the ground breaking and capsule laying ceremony of the rehabilitation of the Polangui Water System in barangay Napo.

The President will be assisted by Gov. Salceda, LWUA administrator Prospero Pichay Cong. Reno Lim of Albay’s third congressional district, and Polangui Mayor Jesus Salceda, during the groundbreaking.

The rehabilitation of the Polangui Water System will entail a cost of P140,710,000. P12.5 million is pure grant; P12.5 million loan without interest while the remaining balance of P115,710,000 willll be paid at an interest rate of 9.2-10% per annum.

Rehabilitation works will include the setting-up of two (2) separate systems. System 1 will cover the upper barangays of Balinad, Napo, Ponso, Alnay, Mendez and Magurang. System 2, on the other hand, willll cover the lower barangays of Centro Oriental, Centro Occidental, Ubaliw, Basud, Gabon, Alomon, Kinale and Balangibang.

Scope of works will include; (a) rehabilitation of two (2) existing reservoirs; (b) installation of a 24,148 linear meters of pipelines; (c) power line extension; (d) installation of 5,000 service connections; (e) provision of a treatment facility; (f) improvement of the existing Higiba spring intake; and (g) construction of a pumping station.

From Polangui, President Arroyo will lead the turn-over of Certificates of Ownership to 240 families displaced by typhoon Reming in 2006 as part of the CORE Shelter 30,000th milestone at a resettlement site in barangay Tagaytay, Camalig town.

The President will be assisted by Sec. Esperanza Cabral of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Cong. Bichara and Camalig Mayor Irwin Baldo in the turn-over ceremony.

The Tagaytay Resettlement site is home to some 840 displaced families from the 16 barangays of the municipality located within the high-risk areas near Mayon Volcano namely, barangays Anoling, Ilawod, Bariw, Cabanagan, Gapo, Ligban, Libod, Quirangay, Salugan, Sua, Tagaytay, Tinago, Tumpa and Barangays 1, 2, 3 and 4.

A total of 840 housing units – each built on 80 square meter lots – are spread over 145,185 square meter area of the resettlement site purchased by the Municipality Government of Camalig and developed by the National Housing Authority (NHA).

These housing units are the results of government and private sector collaboration as funds poured in from the DSWD-CSAP (114 units); DSWD-Habitat for Humanity, Philippines (136 units); Italian Cooperation, Philippines (115 units); International Organization for Migration (350 units) and Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri/OCD (125 units).

To conclude her provincial sorties, the President will inaugurate the seawall project (phase I and II) in barangay Puro here.

Upon arrival at the site, the President, together with Gov. Salceda, Mayor Rosal, Cong. Bichara and Sec. Hermogenes Ebdane of the Department of Public Works and Higways (DPWH), will board an open-top vehicle for the inaugural drive thru the coastal road network.

The Puro Seawall Phase I and II project was implemented by the DPWH with the Sunwest Construction and Development Corporation, as the contractor. It covers the construction of 360 linear meters of seawall and a corresponding 360 linear meters of road to include a walkway and/or jogging cum bicycle lane in the total amount of P70 million. The coastal road network, which stretches some 4.095 kilometers, is envisioned to be the “Roxas Boulevard” of Legazpi City.

Several projects are simultaneously undertaken with the road project that once completed it will serve as an alternate route to decongest traffic in the city’s business center, provide commuters safe access and easy transport of agricultural and marine products, and develop tourism potentials in the area. (MALoterte, PIA V/ with reports from LVCastañeda, DPWH V)