BALAGTAS, Bulacan—Close to 50 percent of overseas
development assistance (ODA) to the Philippines
are coming from Japan ,
Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson said.
The disclosure came during the inauguration of an
interchange here along the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) which also opened the
6.87 kilometer Plaridel by-pass road.
Singson and other and some businessmen said continued flow
of ODA to the country is a sign of confidence to the Aquino presidency.
“At least 44 percent of overseas development assistance that
we are receiving are coming from Japan ,” said Singson noting that it
will be spent for more infrastructures projects in the country like road,
bridges and flood control projects.
He said that Japan is willing to fund more projects in the
country and insinuated that it’s a sign
of continuing confidence to the current administration which introduced ‘wise
spending’ of funds since 2010.
Singson said that Japan International Cooperation
Agency (Jica) has vowed to finance new infrastructure projects in the country
through ODA.
This include the packages two to four of the 24.61
kilometers arterial road project in the province that will link the NLEX to the
Philippine-Japan Friendship Highway located in San Rafael town. The 6.87 kilometer package one of the project
has been completed and is now known as the Plaridel By-pass road.
Aside from the said project, Singson said disclosed that
Jica is also ready to finance the proposed Central Luzon Link Expressway
(CLLEx) that will link the Subic-Clark Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) in La Paz town in the province
of Tarlac to Cabanatuan City
in Neuva Ecija.
This was affirmed by Akio Yonezawa, the second secretary on
economic affairs of the embassy of the Japan
in the Philippines .
He said that aside from the CLLEx, the Japanese government
though the Jica is also ready to finance the proposed alternate road project to
Dalton pass in
Nueva Vizacaya.
“Once the feasibility study and design is ready, we will be
willing to finance it because we want to help the Philippines , Yonezawa said in an
interview.
According to Siongson, Jica has earlier other road projects
in Central Luzon including widening of the MacArthur Highway from Bulacan to Tarlac, and the Gapan-Olongapo road that
traverses the provinces of Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Bataan
and Zambales.
This developed, Antonio Tencgo and Rudy Calalang, both
members of the Bulacan Chamber of Commerce and Industries (BCCI) hailed Jica’s
assistance in Central Luzon .
They said that it will not only fasttrack development in
rising urban centers in the region, but will spur economic growth in remote
areas in the region. (Dino Balabo)
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