Ecija LGU inks P111-M loan to bankroll infra projects, solve traffic

TALAVERA, Nueva Ecija – Mayor Nerivi Santos-Martinez signed here on Thursday afternoon a P111-million loan with the Land Bank of the Philippines to finance her fledgling administration’s various projects, including infrastructure that would help solve the pestering traffic problem in this town, considered a major bottleneck in its development.

          Santos-Martinez signed the memorandum of agreement in behalf of the municipal government in ceremonies at the municipal hall. Signing in behalf of the LBP were account manager Lito Rivera and Eduardo Reyes Jr., department manager of the bank’s Nueva Ecija Lending Center (NELC). 

          The loan, originally pegged at P120 million, will bankroll projects contained in the town’s annual investments plan for 2014.

          Last February, Santos-Martinez asked the Sangguniang Bayan led by Vice Mayor Anselmo Rodiel III to pass an ordinance approving the proposed terms and conditions for the projects that include road concreting, asphalt overlay, construction of classrooms and gymnasium and improvement of the public market among others.

          Santos-Martinez said an important component of the road project is the concreting of a network from the national highway to Barangay Sampaloc and another stretch from the public market also leading to Sampaloc spanning 750 linear meters.

          Santos-Martinez said that the concreting of the twin road networks are crucial in addressing the traffic problem in the town’s main thoroughfares.  “At least, it will somehow help ease traffic,” she said.

          She said the municipal government is working to undertake construction of a bypass road that will skirt the traffic-prone national highway traversing the town.

The loan also covers asphalting of nine streets, two of which are linked to the national highway and the concreting of 16 barangay roads in Gulog, Poblacion Sur, Tabacao, Bacal 3, Bantug, Burnay, Esguerra, Homestead 2, Minabuyok, Pinagpanaan, Pula, Poblacion Sur, San Miguel na Munti and San Pascual.

          As part of her administration’s development agenda for education, Santos-Martinez said P13.1 million worth of classrooms are now being constructed involving the P8-million two-storey classroom in Pag-asa District and three academic classrooms in barangays Sibul and Tabacao worth P2.5 million each.

          Thirteen gymnasia worth P29.7 million will also be erected in barangays Paludpod, Caputican, Calipahan, Homestead 2, Collado, Mamandil, Poblacion Sur, Burnay, Bagong Silang, Kinalanguyan, Gulod, Bugtong na Buli and Bulac while four stages worth P4.2 million will be constructed in barangays Tagaytay, Calipahan, Burnay and Poblacion Sur.

          Santos-Martinez said the municipal government is eyeing to improve the public market and slaughterhouse, acquire an ambulance, two service vehicles and an amusement facility.