CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Department of Public Works and Highways ( DPWH ) Secretary Mark Villar inspected on Friday the ongoing construction of the P42.26 Million New 7th ID Headquarters Building with Tactical Operations Center inside Fort Ramon Magsaysay in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija.
The project that broke ground in February this year will house a modern command center for military operations and the offices of the different general service staffs of Philippine Army’s 7th Infantry “Kaugnay” Division. The new headquarters building is one of the six projects implemented inside the military camp under the Department of National Defense-Department of Public Works and Highways (DND-DPWH) Convergence Projects or the “Tatag ng Imprastraktura para sa Kapayapaan at Seguridad” (TIKAS).
“I am pleased with the pace of construction considering that we have been in the height of unprecedented challenges since March, like the imposition of strict community quarantines due to the coronavirus and the different (strong) typhoons that hit the country. But these will not affect our resolve to abide by our commitment to finish the construction projects implemented by the DPWH,” Secretary Villar stated.
Villar instructed Regional Director Roseller Tolentino and Nueva Ecija 2nd District Engineer Ricardo M. Puno to closely monitor the on-going constructions to ensure that the project will be delivered before the year ends.
“I made a promise during the groundbreaking activity that we will deliver the new headquarters building by December and I am thankful that our Regional Director and District Engineer had it prioritized, and its completion was fast-tracked so that our military colleagues in public service at the 7th Infantry Division can use this facility very soon,” Villar said.
A drive-thru inspection of the 7.261-kilometer road network still under construction from the Light Reaction Regiment/Special Forces Regiment (Airborne) camps leading to the Molave Complex was also conducted.
Villar also visited the headquarters of the Philippine Army’s Army Artillery Regiment (AAR) to witness the Live Fire Exercise, an activity that is aimed at evaluating the proficiency and competence of military personnel in Field Artillery Operations. (Chris Navarro)