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Milestones 25 September 2008 |
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WHILE mainstream media
in the past weeks trained their lenses on the more controversial topics,
national development quietly but assuredly took another step forward
even without much fanfare as the Arroyo Administration achieved several
milestones in its bid to fortify the country against internal and
external economic threats. In Isabela last September 10, 2008, Her Excellency President Gloria Arroyo personally oversaw the completion and opening of the 361.20 lineal-meter Jones Bridge. The bridge, which cost R168 million, is just one of the 113 modular bridges being built through the auspices of the Austrian government. The bridge connects the Jones’ predominantly agricultural communities with San Agustin and Echague in Isabela, making the delivery of farm, poultry products and livestock to these municipalities easier and faster. Beyond these municipalities lie the commercial centers of northeastern Luzon such as Isabela, Cagayan, Kalinga, Apayao and Nueva Vizcaya. That same day, President Arroyo also led the inauguration of the R1.31- billion Addalam River Irrigation Project (ARIP) which has so far irrigated an estimated 1,000 hectares of Qurino farmland. The ARIP involves the construction of a diversion dam across the Addalam River in Barangay San Fernando, canal distribution and drainage systems as well as access and service roads. Once completed in 2009, the ARIP is expected to irrigate another 7,000 hectares in Isabela. The inauguration coincided with the province’s 37th Araw ng Quirino celebrations. In her congratulatory message to residents, the President cited Quirino’s contribution to helping the country weather the international food crisis and the global economic slowdown through the province’s supply of farm products, such as coffee and peanuts, to other parts of the country. Quirino is the third biggest corn producer and the fourth biggest rice producer in Region II. It is also the region’s top producer of bananas. To cap off the visit, the President distributed R3.2 million worth of checks to three cooperatives and awarded one flatbed dryer to seven agricultural organizations. The province also received from the President seeds for planting in the six towns of Quirino. Later that same week, the President headed south to Batangas to preside over the distribution of similar agricultural yield-boosting implements. These implements included organic fertilizers, irrigation systems, certificates of training on vegetables, corn and mango tree production, loan packages from the Land Bank of the Philippines, 500 bags of certified rice seeds and 200 bags of white and yellow corn seeds, among others. The windfall of agricultural yield-boosting implements was made possible through Administrative Order (AO) No. 225 which the President signed last April. Under the AO, the President directed government- owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) and government financial institutions (GFIs) to allocate five percent of their 2007 surplus for rice production, microfinance and other pro-poor projects. Given the untiring efforts of this Administration, the goal of achieving rice self-sufficiency in the next five years is within reach. |
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