MANILA – The “Build, Build, Build” projects in the Visayas are seen to help increase the activities in trade and tourism in the region as some of these are expected to be completed this year.
Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV) Assistant Secretary Jonji Gonzales on Monday said the construction operations have already resumed as most of its provinces are now placed under less strict general community quarantine (GCQ).
Notable infrastructure projects for the region include port rehabilitation, bypass road construction, airport, and tourism road projects.
In the Western Visayas, the twin projects at the Iloilo Commercial Port Complex in Lapaz, Loboc, Iloilo City have been completed. These are the construction of the back-up area with RoRo ramp-on-fill which started in September 2017, and the paving of back-up areas which began in July 2018.
“Ang dalawang project na ito (These two projects) will boost trade and tourism in the province of Iloilo,” he said during the Network Briefing News with host Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar.
Gonzales also said that a bypass road connecting the towns of Sta. Barbara, New Lucena and Zarraga in Iloilo City is expected to be completed in November.
“Itong (This) Metro Iloilo radial road will help decongest the major thoroughfares in the central part of Iloilo. It will cut down 30 minutes of travel,” he said.
A Tourism access road project is also underway for Negros Oriental, connecting the bays of Siit and Tambobo in Siaton.
OPAV also expressed hope that the construction of tourism access roads in the province will encourage more tourists to visit the town of Siaton.
Meanwhile, in Cebu province, the 1.2-km runway extension project at the Bantayan Island airport terminal is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Because of this, there will be easier access to the island especially in the towns of Bantayan, Sta. Fe and Madridejos.
Davao de Oro promotes local tourism
On the same program, Davao de Oro Governor Jayvee Tyron Uy said they are preparing their establishments and tourism sites for the resumption and promotion of local tourism in the province.
“We are promoting local responsible tourism. We expect na hopefully pag may lunas na itong Covid, tourism will open up in our province, especially sa mga taga-syudad kay gusto sa mga taga-syudad na magpa-probinsya muna dahil mas safe doon tsaka mas presko ang hangin doon (We are promoting local responsible tourism. We expect that hopefully, once there is a vaccine for Covid, tourism will open up in our province, especially for city-dwellers since most of them love to go to the provinces because it’s much safer and the air is fresh),” he said.
Uy also discussed that they are also exploring other areas that can be converted or identified as local tourism destination sites.
The province is also encouraging the public to engage in cycling and other outdoor activities that will stimulate the economy.
“Pino-promote namin ang biking and outdoor activities para ma-stimulate lang namin yung economy, bringing back the service industry in the picture again, because alam natin na ito talaga ang apektado ngayon na panahon (We are promoting biking and other outdoor activities so that we can stimulate the economy, bringing back the service industry in the picture again because we know that they are the most affected by the situation),” he added. (PR)
