Repair, rehab of Liloan bridge part of super region project
By Bong Pedalino
MAASIN CITY (11 October) -- The repair and rehabilitation of Liloan bridge, a structure connecting the town of Liloan in Panaon island, and the mainland of the province, was included in the super-regions project of the Arroyo administration.
District Engineer Carlos Veloso of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) here revealed in a phone interview with PIA that the said repair and rehab of Liloan bridge has an outlay of P 40 Million.
He said he learned about this in a Memo from the DPWH higher ups and made no further details just yet.
The inclusion of the bridge's repair was part of the nautical highway crisscrossing various parts of the country from Mindanao to Luzon and vice-versa.
The District Engineer also said he was aware of the super-regions project, including some that were set to be undertaken in his territory.
In Central Visayas , the one in-charge of the super-regions project was Ace Durano, the tourism Secretary, DE Veloso disclosed, although he also received memoranda from the DPWH on the matter.
During President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo?s State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July where the super-region concept was first announced, Southern Leyte was included in the Central Visayas portion, where the focus was mostly in tourism.
On September 21, Gov. Rosette Lerias, in a special Regional Development Council (RDC) meeting held in Tacloban City and attended by Cabinet Secretary Ricardo Saludo, discussed the fine details of the super-region plan affecting region 8 in general and Southern Leyte province in particular, where some P 16 Billion was allotted for the province, including the ten-year geothermal project in San Juan costing P 14 Billion.
The repair and rehabilitation of the Liloan bridge, which has been a long felt need due to its rusty and rusting structures, was not included in the presentation at the special RDC meeting. (PIA-Southern Leyte) [top]