Brgy. San Rafael, Mandurriao District, Iloilo City
27 June 2014
Joined by about a hundred Iloilo bikers of different age groups, President Benigno S. Aquino III conducted a drive-through at the completed section of the proposed Sen. Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Avenue road widening project in Brgy. San Rafael in the district of Mandurriao in Iloilo City.
The 15.6-kilometer road connects Iloilo City to other towns in the Iloilo province and serves as a gateway from the Iloilo International Airport to the city. Part of the project is the two additional lanes for motorists, walk lanes, service road, sidewalk and drainage system. This is the first main road that has a designated lane for bikers, as President Aquino explained in his speech during the program held at the Iloilo Esplanade.
“Hindi lang po natin pinalawak ang kalsada para sa 30,000 motorista na dumadaan dito araw-araw. Ginawa pa natin itong mas ligtas para sa mamamayan at mas matibay laban sa baha. At kapag natapos na ang mga proyekto natin sa SBA Avenue, ang biyahe mula Iloilo Esplanade hanggang International Airport na inaabot dati ng 45 minuto ay magagawa na lamang sa 25 minuto,” he added.
President Aquino also mentioned some of the ongoing projects of the national government for the province such as the completed Iloilo City-Jaro Road and the Iloilo City-Tacas Road at the Iloilo Coastal Road going to Dumangas Port. Likewise, he said that the detailed engineering and design for the second stage of the Jalaur River Multi-Purpose Project will be completed in August this year. This project is one of the primary irrigation projects of the government which will be the the first large-scale reservoir dam outside Luzon once finished.
“Ang mga natamo nating kongkretong transpormasyon ay manganganak ng pagkakataon para sa ating mamamayan. Dadami ang negosyong magbubunsod ng trabaho, bibilis ang pagdating ng mga turista mula sa loob at labas ng bansa, matitiyak nating hindi kukulangin sa patubig ang pananim ng ating mga magsasaka, dadali ang pagdadala ng ani mula bukirin tungo sa mga merkado hanggang sa hapag-kainan ng bawat Pilipino,” President Aquino said.
* * *