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Sec. Ebdane
...fulfilling a commitment |
Hopes for speedier and more effective implementation of the on-going Presentacion-Caramoan coastal road soared this month following a whirlwind unannounced visit by Public Works Secretary Hermogenes E. Ebdane, Jr. to the project site last August 3.
Secretary Ebdane who was briefed by DPWH Regional Director Orlando B. Roces on the status of the project during a stopover at Presentacion town was actually fulfi lling a commitment to Virac Bishop Manolo A. de los Santos, D.D. after the CBCP conference last month that he would personally look into the delay in the implementation of the project.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo had initially allocated Php 250 million for the project during her visit to Camarines Sur on February 2, 2006, several days after she assured Bicol bishops on January 28, 2006 she would fund the project.
Bicol bishops present during the January 28, 2006 dialogue with President Arroyo aside from Bishop de los Santos were Bishops Jose Rojas, Jr., Benjamin Almoneda, Arturo Bastes, Joel Baylon and Jose Sorra. At least four of the bishops have written President Arroyo about the delay in the project and other defects as reported by their own monitoring team, including project costs.
Bishop de los Santos joined Secretary Ebdane in an aerial reconnaissance survey of the project aboard a helicopter. The church prelate was requested to join the inspection team and was fetched by helicopter from Virac.
Bicol bishops led by Msgr. de los Santos were among those who vigorously endorsed a petition to President Arroyo by the Caramoan Residence Association in Naga City and its Environs (CRANE) in April 2005 for the continuance and completion of the project.
The coastal road project would shorten travel distance to Caramoan by 25 kilometers compared to the mountain road and also link with the proposed roll-on roll-off project from Codon in Catanduanes to San Vicente, Caramoan. It would accelerate tourism development for Caramoan which has more than a dozen fabulous beaches and exotic islets considered to be world-class tourism potentials.
The 2005 CRANE petition was endorsed by Congressman Luis R. Villafuerte, Gov. L-Ray Vilafuerte, then Catanduanes Gov. Leandro Verceles, Jr., Congressman Felix Alfelor, Jr., all Caramoan elective municipal officials and barangay captains, all Catanduanes and Caramoan priests led by Bishop de los Santos, the Camarines Sur Chamber of Commerce and Industry and many others. It was, in fact, the only project proposal here in Bicol with massive multi-sectoral support.
