Friday, Mar 26, 2010
Gulf News
Manila President Gloria Arroyo hailed the construction and rehabilitation of a major road undertaking in Basilan, as she said that the project will considerably improve security and bring development in former Abu Sayyaf strongholds.
Arroyo had visited the town of Tipo-Tipo last Wednesday and inspected the progress of construction works for the 29.3-km stretch of the total 135-km-long Basilan Circumferential Road Project, the palace said in a statement issued yesterday.
Noting the changes, Arroyo said the road project has improved the peace and order condition in Tipo-Tipo — the site of recent major clashes between the Abu Sayyaf and government forces.
"This town used to be a stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf, but now, because of the road which provide people with access, the Abu Sayyaf are now gone," she said in a speech.
Aside from improving the peace and order situation in Tipo-Tipo, the president also said the road project had reduced the transport costs for products, resulting in the lower prices of commodities.
The road rehabilitation is part of the Basilan Circumferential Road Project, which Arroyo initiated to spur economic growth in Basilan and its neighbouring island provinces.
Financed through a concessional facility extended by the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), the loan of 75 million Saudi riyals (Dh73.5 million) was extended on October 2005, while government provided a counterpart fund of 1.118 billion pesos (Dh898.60 million). The Basilan Circumferential Road Project is seen as a major infrastructure initiative to lift Basilan from poverty and bring prosperity in the south Philippines' island province as government continues its campaign against local terrorism and lawlessness in the area.
The rehabilitation of Tipo-Tipo-Maluso Road Section of the Basilan Circumferential Road had started last January. The civil works for the project is being jointly undertaken by the Department of Public Works and Highways and the armed forces, through the Joint Engineer Task Force "Kaunlaran Basilan" (Progress Basilan).
The task force is composed of the army and navy engineering units.
By Gilbert P. Felongco
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