Speaker Arroyo here for blessing of roads

CEBU, Philippines —  House Speaker and former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is expected to be in the Fourth District today for the ribbon cutting and blessing of various infrastructure projects that were funded during her administration.

Fourth District Representative Benhur Salimbangon said these projects amounted to over a billion pesos.

"Kani nga mga infrastructure projects nga na-funding-an g’yud ni during the time of President Arroyo," said Salimbangon.

Salimbangon said that Arroyo and her party will cut the ribbon of the Don Pedro highway in Bogo City before proceeding to blessing of the Curva-Panugnawan Road in Medellin town. From there they will proceed to the blessing of the Agujo Road in Daanbantayan town then to the blessing of Maya Access Road in Daanbantayan.

Except for the Maya Access Road, which is still undergoing construction, all the other three projects have already been completed.

Salimbangon said that he also filed House Bill 8740 in Congress renaming the Don Pedro Rodriguez Highway from Bogo City to Daanbantayan to the Juan Macaraeg Highway to honor the grandfather of Arroyo.

Macaraeg was an official of the Department of Public Works and Highways during the American and Commonwealth governments. He also served as district engineer of the Department of Education in the Visayas stationed in Cebu.

During his stint as district engineer, he visited the entire Cebu and frequently the Fourth District. He also contributed to the creation of the several roads in Cebu.

In 2008, the widening, rehabilitation and concreting of the entire stretch began. To date, the bill added the said road has become a freeway or motorway comparable to those in other countries. — BRP (FREEMAN)