Sorsogon City Coastal Road partially opens

A portion of the Sorsogon City Coastal Road connecting the city's baywalk, Rompeolas, to Barangay Balogo officially opened for traffic, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) announced Sunday.

Once fully completed, the coastal road will have a total length of 110.70 lineal meters, starting at Daang Maharlika and traversing Barangays of Sirangan, Sampaloc, and Balogo.

It would eventually connect to Barangays Pangpang, Tugos, Cabulaga, and Talisay in Sorsogon City.

"[O]ther than decongesting the heavy traffic in the main thoroughfare of Sorsogon City, this road was built to provide protection to the surrounding areas from storm surge especially that Bicol Region is among the most frequent path of typhoons entering the Philippine area of responsibility," the DPWH said.

The Philippine economic team was banking on the ambitious "Build, Build, Build" infrastructure program to spur growth, following the economic contraction recorded in the first two quarters of the year.

The second-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) was recorded at -16.5%, bringing the country to its first recession since 1991. This followed the -0.7% in the first quarter of the year. —Jon Viktor Cabuenas/DVM/KG, GMA News