TWO House committees will hold separate hearings in Cebu on Monday, Feb. 18, on new roll-on-roll-off (roro) routes, and to sort out issues concerning housing for the urban poor on Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)-Central Command (Centcom) lots.
The first hearing will be at 11 a.m. at the social hall of the Cebu Port Authority (CPA). It will be conducted by House oversight committee on transportation chaired by Catanduanes Rep. Cesar Sarmiento.
The second hearing will be at 2 p.m. at the Centcom to be conducted by the House oversight committee on housing chaired by Negros Occidental Rep. Albee Benitez.
House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will attend both hearings.
Arroyo had earlier pushed for the expansion and modernization of the roro system, which was launched during her term as president.
CPA General Manager Angelo Verdan said the Strong Republic Nautical Highways (SRNH) was implemented to bring down the cost of transporting goods and services.
He said the House committee wanted to further promote the roro system, particularly opening new routes in areas without sea transport.
He said Arroyo wanted to have an effective SRNH, especially since President Duterte had recognized the importance of roro as a cheap means of transportation.
Arroyo’s office sent a press statement that she had conducted an oversight hearing on the roro system to check the status of existing ports nationwide and the revival of canceled projects.
On the housing oversight, Arroyo wanted to find a solution to the problem surrounding the property in Barangay Apas, Cebu City, which she had awarded to urban poor beneficiaries through Presidential Proclamation 409 that she issued in 2003.
The property in Apas belonged to the Provincial Government. In 1959, it donated to the AFP 47 parcels of land covering 80 hectares with the condition that the property would revert to the Province if it was no longer used for military purposes.