ILOILO CITY, June 26 (PNA) -– President Benigno Aquino III accompanied by Senate President Franklin M. Drilon, will lead the inauguration and inspection of some P4 billion worth of infrastructure projects here on Friday, starting around 9 a.m.
Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog said this is the first time the city became a recipient of such huge projects that will prop up the local economy and establish the city as the next business and investment hub in the country.
The projects include the P2.1-billion Iloilo circumferential road, the ongoing construction of the P700-million Iloilo Convention Center, the P550-million Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. Avenue leading to the Iloilo Airport and the P170-million Iloilo River NHA Subdivision Phase I in Barangay Camalig and in the district of Jaro in this city.
The city council recently approved renaming the 14- kilometer circumferential road into President Corazon C. Aquino Highway in honor of the late Chief Executive and mother of President Benigno Aquino III. The road starts from the coastal road in Jaro up to the Acropolis, winding up to the boundary of Pakiad, Oton and the Sooc, Arevalo resettlement project.
The President’s first stop will be for the inauguration of four bridges of the circumferential road with a photo opportunity at the new bridge in Barangay Ungka, Pavia near the Iloilo Coca Cola plant.
The President is also expected to conduct a drive-through at the two-kilometer completed stretch of the expanded diversion road. Some 1,000 bikers composed of children and senior citizens will join him the bike lane.
Mr. Aquino will also hold a drive-through at the Esplanade I where a program will be held.
The President will then proceed to the River Plains Subdivision Phase I in Lanit, Jaro to inaugurate the 1,000 completed housing units for informal settlers who will be transferred from the city’s danger zones along the river and tributaries.
The President will also inspect the new 10-lane road up to Sambag, Jaro that is now officially known as the Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. Avenue.
The road after Sambag stretches into a six-lane road up to the Iloilo Airport entrance in Cabatuan, Iloilo where a service and access road going to the airport and with a perimeter fence is being constructed.
The President will inspect these completed projects on top of updated reports on the construction of the Iloilo Convention Center that will be the venue of Ministerial Meetings of the Asia Pacific Economic Council in 2015, the ongoing construction of the P200-million Iloilo fishing port complex expansion and the soon to be implemented P350 million new bridge connecting Arroyo St. in the city proper to Lapuz district near the new Ro-Ro wharf and the P100-million Promenade II starting behind the Iloilo provincial capitol to Muelle Loney. (PNA)