TRUE to her promise, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo packed in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) some P372M to realize an ambitious highway through the mountains of Bohol and connects Tubigon to Jagna Ports.
According to sources at the Capitol, this year’s GAA reflects an appropriation of P372M, a hundred million more than the President’s earlier commitment when she launched the Jagna Strong Republic Nautical Highway (SRNH) port two years ago.
The project, which is critical segment of the integrated tourism circuits developed here supports the presidential dream of making the Visayas super-regions as a tourism hub for the country.
The road accents the inter-island mobility and accessibility and completes the port to port access where tourists can easily take the ferries and land trips in between to their favorite destinations via the SRNH-RoRo.
Many Boholanos have earlier said that the president was only making good time with the pronouncement, adding that the project would definitely need an amount the president may not be able to singularly grant.
Doubters need to stand aside now, the GAA is already enough proof that concreting of the Tubigon to Jagna road could be just as close.
The development has elated Governor Erico Aumentado and the provincial officials as they agreed that the president was really meaning what she said.
The Capitol report, which was printed in local papers here cited the funds as the source for concreting specific sections of the junction of Tagbilaran East Road and Jagna-Sierra Bullones Road.
Detailed in the GAA are the P93.37M Canjulao-Boctol-Jagna road section, the P93.2M Sierra Bullones section and the P93.03M Matin-ao- Magsaysay, Villa Garcia Sierra Bullones sections. These all sum up to P372.8M.
The fund, Governor Erico Aumentado said, excludes the cross roads to Alicia, another crucial highway section alternative to the Jagna exit.
During the latest League of Municipalities of the Philippines meeting In Batuan, Gov. Aumentado has directed Jagna Mayor Exuperio Lloren and Sierra Bullones’ Simplicio Maestrado to be on site at all times to supervise the implementation.
He also urged both mayors to start interceding for the government the acquisition of the road right of way to fast-tract the project implementation. (rachiu/PIA)
