Date: Sat, 7 Sep 1996 18:38:00 GMT+0800
From: "Phil. News Agency" <pna@gaia.psdn.org>
Subject: nn: Lake Lanao circumferential road gets additional P50
million
MANILA, Sept. 6 (PNA) - - President Ramos today ordered the release of an additional 50 million pesos for the concreting of the 34-kilometers Masiu-Ganassi section of the Lake Lanao Circumferential Road in Lanao del Sur.
In a handwritten memorandum to Budget Secretary Salvador Enriquez, the President said he had approved the release of the amount to fast-track the construction of the remaining 27.7 kilometers of the Masiu-Ganassi road.
At present, 6.3 kilometers of the Maskiu-Ganassi section have been concreted.
The additional funding was requested by Gov. Lininding Pangandaman of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
Pangandaman had informed Malacanang that the unfinished section of the 102-kilometer circumferential road was targetted for completion by December 25 this year.
The ARMM official said the 52nd engineering brigade section had been assigned to construct 10 kilometers of the unfinished road section.
Pangandaman said that when the Masiu-Ganassi section is completed, the entire stretch of the Lake Lanao Circumferential Road will have been concreted.
The President has ordered the acceleration of development programs in the whole Zone of Peace and Development (ZOPAD) following the signing last week of the final peace agreement between the government and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).
Malacanang has earmarked 10 billion pesos for various development projects in the ZOPAD. The allocation will be released in tranches.
The government has identified 13 major new projects to be funded out of the 10-billion pesos allocation, in addition to six deferred projects.
Some of the projects already on stream were shelved due to peace and order problems in Mindanao before the signing of the peace agreement.
Roli G. Talampas DSS, CAS, Univ of the Phils Manila
roligt@kulog.upm.edu.ph roligt@mail.skyinet.net