Guv announces billion peso project for Western Visayas

ILOILO CITY, March 18 (PNA) –- Western Visayas is again a recipient of a billion-peso project from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo after the Investment Coordinating Committee (ICC) of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Board approved the inclusion of the Panay River Basin Flood Control Project in the 28th Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Yen Loan Package.

This was announced by Antique Gov. Salvacion Perez who at the same time is the chairperson of the Regional Development Council (RDC) during her State of the Region Address (SORA) in Antique recently.

The project is expected to address the flooding problem in Capiz, which is also one of the flood prone areas in Western Visayas.

The project, that is based in Capiz with a fund requirement of about P5-billion, has three components to include the dredging and improvement of the Panay River Basin, construction of the Cogon Hamulauon Floodway and a flood forecasting and warning system.

Engr. Gilberto Altura, chief of the Project Development, Programming and Budgeting Division of NEDA 6, said the project is just waiting for the fund release.

He added that the Philippine Government through the Department of Finance (DoF) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will be the one to transmit the approved project to the Government of Japan for the downloading of the fund.

The construction of the project is expected to commence in 2011 and will be completed by 2015.

Meantime, the RDC and NEDA are also waiting for the ICC approval on the proposed P712 million Integrated System Operation Efficiency Improvement Project for the irrigation facilities damaged by Typhoon Frank for Antique and Aklan.

Engr. Altura said the project is being implemented nationwide and Western Visayas was identified as one of the recipients. (PNA)
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