GMA inaugurates BCRIP2 tomorrow

PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Gov. Erico Aumentado tomorrow will lead national and local officials in the “drive through” inauguration of the Tagbilaran City to Lila section of the Bohol Circumferential Road Improvement Project Phase 2 (BCRIP2). The drive-through precedes the inaugural program at the Lila Gymnasium where Public Works and Highways Sec. Hermogenes Ebdane will brief the President on the project. Lila Mayor Telesforo Balagosa will welcome her and other guests while Aumentado will introduce her.

In her message, President Arroyo is expected to sign into law the bill converting the Panglao Circumferential Road and Center Line into a national road. This makes it eligible for Official Development Assistance (ODA) from the Government of Japan through the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) like the BCRIP, the Leyte-Bohol Interconnection Project (LBIP), the Bohol Irrigation Project (BHIP) and the Panglao International Airport Development Project (PIADP), among others. Aumentado had shepherded the projects through the Regional Development Council (RDC 7) to the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) and even to Tokyo , Japan during the pledging session when he was still congressman of Bohol 's 2nd District.

The President was supposed to make three visits to Bohol this year until the governor Thursday revealed that she is accepting his invitation to come again in October to inaugurate the BCRIP 2 Lila to Candijay section with the program to be held most likely in Jagna town. Her first visit was on March 14 when she and New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark had a tete-a-tete at the Bohol Beach Club in the first ever state visit to the Philippines held outside of Manila – not counting the visit of Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi on March 16, 1565.

The third will be on July 22 when Aumentado will lead the province in celebrating Bohol Day. Aside from the commemorative program in the morning, another highlight is the Investment Forum in the afternoon to be held at the Bohol Tropics Resort Club where the governor will play matchmaker to investors and property owners in the province. The President will also inaugurate the Bayongan Dam and canals that form part of BHIP 2. This after Aumentado accompanied Sec. Marilou Frostrom of the Office for Regional Concerns (ORC) of the Presidential Management Staff on an ocular inspection of the dam in San Miguel town on May 24.

The BCRIP2 is the main trunk route with a total length of about 260 kilometers. Due to time extensions granted to Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Co., Ltd. undertaking Package 1 or the Calape to Valencia through Tagbilaran City stretch and to C.M. Pancho Construction, Inc. undertaking Package 2 or the stretch from Valencia to Candijay, the project now costs around P1.857 billion.

Hanjin targets to finish the 84.24-km. Package 1 on Jan. 31 next year while C.M. Pancho targets to complete the 51-78-km. Package 2 on Oct. 15. BCRIP2 involves the construction of Portland Cement Concrete Pavement (PCCP), repair of existing PCCP, construction of new bridges, repair of existing bridges and the construction of reinforced concrete box culverts (RCBC), reinforced concrete pipe culverts (RCPC), slope and shore protection and other drainage structures. As of May 25, Package 1 is already 77.046% complete while Package 2 is already 86.607% complete.

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