Stakeholders discuss Pampanga transport plan

PAMPANGA. Among the stakeholders who attended a forum Thursday, October 25, are: (seated) DPWH Central Luzon Regional Director Roseller Tolentino, Pampanga Chamber President Jess Nicdao, Sto. Tomas Mayor John Sambo, Vice-Governor Dennis Pineda, PamCham Chairman Emeritus Levy P. Laus, Pampanga 4th District Representative Rimpy Bondoc, City of San Fernando Mayor Edwin Santiago, and NLEx Corp. Senior Vice President on Communication and Stakeholder Management Romulo Quimbo; and (standing) comebacking Pampanga 1st District Representative Yeng Guiao, PamCham directors, and other stakeholders. (Photo by Erika Mariel Gines)
PAMPANGA. Among the stakeholders who attended a forum Thursday, October 25, are: (seated) DPWH Central Luzon Regional Director Roseller Tolentino, Pampanga Chamber President Jess Nicdao, Sto. Tomas Mayor John Sambo, Vice-Governor Dennis Pineda, PamCham Chairman Emeritus Levy P. Laus, Pampanga 4th District Representative Rimpy Bondoc, City of San Fernando Mayor Edwin Santiago, and NLEx Corp. Senior Vice President on Communication and Stakeholder Management Romulo Quimbo; and (standing) comebacking Pampanga 1st District Representative Yeng Guiao, PamCham directors, and other stakeholders. (Photo by Erika Mariel Gines)

LOCAL government officials and public and private sector leaders on Thursday, October 25, converged for the first Multi-Stakeholders Forum on Pampanga Road Network Improvements and Projects held at the Carworld Training Room along Jose Abad Santos in the City of San Fernando.

Initiated by the Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (PamCham), the meeting aimed to detail the government’s integrated transport plan that outlines the province’s public transport and road networks to cater for travel demands over the next years.

The historic gathering, as described by PamCham Chairman Emeritus Levy P. Laus, was highlighted by presentations from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) Corporation, and Bases Convergence and Development Authority (BCDA).

Each presented updates on various road projects in the province and in the region.

DPWH Regional Director Roseller Tolentino said the department was fast-tracking ongoing projects, including the Capas-Botolan Road, Bagac-Mariveles Road, and Lubao-Guagua-Minalin-Sto. Tomas Road.

He reported that for Central Luzon, proposed projects endorsed by the Regional Development Council have reached P121 billion this 2018 compared to the P70 billion last year.

He said that construction of roads and flood mitigation structures and facilities contributes accounts for the bulk of this year’s budget.

Meanwhile, NLEx also relayed its current capacity expansion projects namely the San Fernando Toll Plaza Entry and Exit; the Mexico Toll Plaza NB and SB Exit; Angeles Toll Plaza NB and SB Entrance and Exit, and NLEx-SCTEx NB and SB Connecting Ramps.

All projects are set to be completed by December.

He added that they will also finish another project, the Clark South A and B Toll Plaza EB and WB Exit, by the first quarter of 2019 while the improvement of the San Simon Interchange is in the pipeline.

During the open forum, Pampanga Fourth District Representative Juan Pablo “Rimpy” Bondoc, rallied for the promotion of Pampanga as the viable choice for the proposed land port terminal of the national government.

“I heard that there is a plan to construct a land port somewhere in Central Luzon and I am hoping that we can promote Pampanga particularly the Sto. Tomas-Minalin area as its location. Extensive land area and local road components are already there. It will really be an engine of development for Pampanga if we can grab this project so we need to unite as one for this to actually happen here,” he said.

Pampanga Vice-Governor Dennis “Delta” Pineda, for his part, noted that the provincial government is “all in” in supporting projects that would bring sustainable and equitable progress to the province.

“In behalf of Governor Lilia Pineda, we at the provincial government, are all committed to act as one, unite as family and not political woes, to actually work together for the betterment of Pampanga. Whatever projects or endeavors each of our political leaders aim to pursue or promote, we will support it with all our might,” he said.

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