Arroyo brags about airport, seaport, farm-to-market road projects

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Monday boasted that sundry infrastructure projects have been implemented by her administration, that she said are "key components of the government’s economic development, and delivery of basic services programs, these projects include road networks, airports, seaports and farm-to-market roads." In her 2006 report to the nation, the President unveiled her blueprint of the Super Regions economic plan, or Phase 3 of the Medium-Term Public Investment Program, although these are largely projects long under way or already inaugurated before her previous year's state of the nation address. In a press statement, the Office of the Press Secretary cited a document released by Cabinet Secretary Ricardo Saludo that rendered updates on major projects in the five Super Regions: North Luzon Agribusiness Quadrangle, Central Philippines as the country’s Tourism Center; the Urban Beltway and Mindanao as the country’s Agribusiness Center in the South, and the IT Corridor. Mrs Arroyo, in her SONA, unveiled her blueprint of the Super Regions economic plan, or Phase 3 of the Medium-Term Public Investment Program. The statement said: "The economic concept of the Super Regions program underscored the need "to invest in the natural advantages and natural resources of a section of our nation so that when harnessed together, the major economic regions are larger than the sum of its parts." "It (Super Regions) is the blueprint of the only viable future," the President stressed. "We must invest in the vital infrastructure that is the backbone of a modern nation," she said, adding that the construction of priority infrastructure projects is possible as the government has now adequate funds for these projects. In the Luzon Urban Beltway, the Super Regions strategy is "doing great," the President said. The Subic-Clark-Tarlac Express Road is now in its final stages: the radar approach control of the Clark Airport was installed last April, while construction of the C-5-Katipunan section for the North Luzon and South Luzon Expressways connection is now on-going. At the South Expressway, the widening of the Alabang Viaduct up to Santo Tomas, Batangas is on-going. By March 2008, the SLEX would extend to the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road. In Central Philippines, more roads are being built and improved to enhance tourism and the movement of people and goods in Panay Island, where the world famous Boracay is located. Among the completed projects in Central Philippines are the Jagna Port in Bohol which links the Visayas and Mindanao. The Iloilo International Airport was opened last June while the Kalibo Airport has gone international with Asian Spirit operating flights directly from Korea. The Bacolod Airport is nearing completion while the Guiuan Airport in Eastern Samar is scheduled to be finished in September. The construction of the Kabankalan and Panglao airports is about to start while the proposed international airport in Daraga, Albay is now undergoing engineering study. As pointed out by government infrastructure overseer Secretary Cerge Remonde, this year alone eight airports, with a total cost of P15.51 billion, will be completed. - GMANews.TV