San Fernando City, La Union (6 February) -- As the Philippine economy continues to register positive growth despite the looming economic meltdown in the United States which we are not sure how deep it will be and how much the downturn will affect our economy, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo pushed the greenlight to "infrastructure spending" as a hedge against a US recession.
The President believes that the infra surge will serve as a "springboard for further growth and as a firewall against world volatility".
Infrastructure development done, in a massive scale throughout the country will lead to greater productivity and employment opportunities.
President Arroyo fueled the government's infrastructure spending template and expansion of services when she ordered earlier the Department of Transportation and Communications for the upgrade of the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) at Clark to become the country's premier airport in six months.
The DMIA's rehabilitation is expected to put the Philippines in a better position to compete with modern airport terminals in the region and also spur economic growth and development in Central Luzon Corregidor and North Luzon Growth Quadrangle.
Soon land travel between Manila to Ilocos region will have a radical improvement with the construction of the North Luzon Expressway extension from Tarlac to Rosario in La Union.
Similar expressway extension will be constructed in the South Super Expressway.
The President also made the groundbreaking recently of the P333 million Mindanao Avenue extension project in Valenzuela City.
The road extension will cut travel time between the neighboring Metro Manila cities of Quezon, Caloocan and Valenzuela via NLEX.
Early this month the President also dropped off the time capsule for two infrastructure projects – the first C-5 Extension project in Sucat, Parañaque and for a 16-classroom four-storey school building of Sta. Lucia High School in Pasig.
This coming April the President will sign the concession award of the biggest project yet – the $3.3 billion MRT – 7 Infrastructure project, after it passed the bureaucratic wringer.
The President said during the opening of the First Biennial Education Congress that her administration is going on a "construction season" as it started to build and finish 10,000 classrooms this year.
Meanwhile, in the agricultural front, President Arroyo has approved for implementation this year of the rehabilitation of irrigation facilities, construction of farm-to-market roads, establishment of more post-harvest facilities, and the setting of more Bagsakan Centers and Tindahan Natin outlets.
These programs are designed to improve farm production, reduce energy consumption and raise farmers' income. (PIA La Union)
[ Source : www.pia.gov.ph ] February 6, 2008
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