Arroyo to inaugurate nautical highway's eastern seaboard route

MANILA, Philippines - President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will inaugurate Wednesday the enhanced leg of the oldest roll-on/roll-off (RORO) route of the 919-kilometer land and 137-nautical mile (sea) Strong Republic National Highway (SRNH) Eastern Seaboard trunkline. A Malacañang statement said President Arroyo would also inaugurate other ports and road components connecting the Strong Republic Nautical Highway (SRNH) Eastern Seaboard line. The new Eastern Seaboard route starts from Pilar, Sorsogon and runs through Masbate City and Esperanza town in Masbate in Bicol. It then traverses Naval and Maripipi towns both in Biliran, San Ricardo in Southern Leyte and finally ends in Lipata, Surigao City in Surigao del Norte. The old route that forms part of the Maharlika Highway, also known as the Pan-Pacific National Highway, was constructed during the time of then President Ferdinand Marcos. It is the oldest among the Ro-Ro highways that first connected Luzon to the Visayas and Mindanao. It starts from Matnog in Sorsogon and passes through Allen and Dapdap in Northern Samar, Liloan in Leyte and Lipata in Surigao. The Maharlika Highway link is to be further enhanced with the launch of the new Eastern Nautical Highway as it will further spur trade and commerce between and among the islands not covered by the old Maharlika Highway. On Wednesday, President Arroyo would board a RORO ferry at the Lipata Port in Surigao City (Surigao del Norte) to San Ricardo, Southern Leyte. The sea trip will take about two hours. While on board the RORO vessel, the regional two-on-one media interview with Mrs. Arroyo will take place, with the theme "Infrastructure Projects in Full Swing." Upon arrival at the San Ricardo RORO Port in Barangay Benit, President Arroyo will inaugurate the P420-million San Ricardo Ro-Ro Port Development Project. She will then take the inaugural drive-thru of the port road link from San Ricardo to Liloan. After that, she and the Ro-Ro caravan will then motor to Tacloban City via the Sogo-Mahaplag-Abuyog Road and will pass by the on-going construction of the P870-million Agas-Agas Viaduct Project in Sogod, Southern Leyte. Pier 1 of the viaduct or bridge is nearing completion. It is about 70 meters in height with 17 leaps, each leap measuring 4.5 meters high. The second pier of the bridge is 50 percent completed. The RORO caravan will then proceed to the Leyte Provincial Capitol front road inauguration. President Arroyo will inaugurate the newly-completed Naval Port Development Project in Biliran Province. The P9.9-million Naval Port Development Project includes a Ro-Ro ramp and a new passenger terminal building. She will then send off the RORO vessel for the two-hour trip to Masbate. She said the SRNH further enhances public access to various tourism areas throughout the country and offers an alternate and cheaper route for transporting goods from Mindanao to Luzon. - GMANews.TV