Indefatigable Arroyo heads for Mindanao to inspect road projects

MANILA, Philippines - Less than 24 hours after arriving from Hong Kong, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will visit Thursday a remote village in Davao del Sur province to inspect a road project. A Malacañang statement said Mrs Arroyo would visit Jose Abad Santos town to conduct the inspection. Completion of the road project in Balangonan village will pave the way for the construction of the Kitayo-Balangonan and the Meybio, Jose Abad Santos-Glan sections. These road sections are part of the P30-million Davao del Sur-Sarangani Coastal Road, the Palace said. Started in August 2008, the Kitayo-Balangonan section is expected to be completed in July 2009. "When completed, the project will provide better linkages and access to other barangays like Barrio Bukid, Kitayo and Sugal, and hasten the economic development of the municipalities of Jose Abad Santos and Glan in Sarangani," the Palace said. The Department of Public Works and Highways said 50,000 residents of the 16 isolated barangays of Jose Abad Santos would directly benefit from the project. The 21.420-kilometer road project has a total funding of P100 million. It is envisioned to provide a direct link between the agriculture-rich municipalities of Davao del Sur and Sarangani, particularly to the fast-growing General Santos City. Once completed, the project will serve as an effective access to the communities in the interior parts of the two provinces whose potentials as agriculture production areas have remained largely untapped due to lack of roads. Meanwhile, in Sarangani, Mrs Arroyo will lead Thursday some government agencies in distributing livelihood assistance. After her road-inspection visit in Balangonan, Jose Abad Santos in Davao del Sur, she will proceed to the provincial capitol gym to personally distribute various livelihood assistance to farmers. The livelihood assistance includes 1,000 bags of hybrid white corn seeds, 280 bags of open-pollinated variety of white corn seeds worth P182,000 and 200 packs of assorted vegetable seeds worth P70,000. Arroyo will also distribute two white shallow tube wells worth P100,000 per set to the Samahang Nayon Multipurpose Cooperative and to the Tocawal Growers Association. Some 600 elderly will also get an early Christmas treat from the President’s “Katas ng VAT: Tulong para kay Lolo at Lola Project" with a one- time cash subsidy of P500 each. The VAT-funded project for the elderly was earlier launched to augment the resources of poor Filipino senior citizens. Mrs Arroyo will also distribute some 4,000 Christmas food packs to qualified beneficiaries under her "Pamaskong Handog Program." The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) will also conduct a medical and dental mission in the province under the Peoples Government Mobile Action (PGMA) and "Serbisyo Muna" program. - GMANews.TV