OPAPP turns over Pamana Projects 2011 to Sorsogon beneficiaries

By Benilda A. Recebido

Monday 9th of July 2012

SORSOGON CITY, July 9 (PIA) -- Ten out of the 12 Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (Pamana) Projects 2011 for Sorsogon were turned over by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) on July 4 in a ceremony at the Provincial Gymnasium.

The projects were turned over to six municipalities which have completed the projects. Gubat town, also a beneficiary of the Pamana project, has yet to complete the final phase. Completed projects are as follows:

Under agricultural production, Juban town completed its Marine Reserve Sanctuary Development Project (Phase 1) in Brgy. Sablayan (P1-M).

For infrastructure road type: Barcelona – concreting of 560m x 4m farm to market road (FMR) in Brgy. San Isidro (P2.8 M); Casiguran – concrete paving of 1,000 meter FMR from Bactolan, Tiris to San Ramon, Burgos Road (P3-M); Juban – concrete paving of Tublijon-Sipaya Road, (P3 M); Pto. Diaz – concrete paving of FMR from Cogon to San Rafael (P3 M); and Irosin – concreting of Buenavista-San Isidro-Batang FMR, (P2.5 M).

Under eco-tourism development: Irosin – establishment of Eco-Tourism Center in Brgy. Salvacion (P2 M); Magallanes – improvement of Parola Beach (P2 M) and of Sta. Lourdes Grotto (P1 M) both in Brgy. Behia, and improvement of Bucal-bucalan Spring in Aguada Sur (P2 M).

A project site turn-over in Juban town for the concreting of Tublijon-Sipaya Road was also held.

PAMANA is the national government’s program and framework for peace and development and is a complementary track to peace negotiations that responds to development needs of the grass root communities.

During the turn-over ceremony, Assistant Secretary Romulo B. Halabaso narrated that Pamana aims to achieve lasting peace using three pillars: Pillar 1 which refers to policy reforms that establish the foundation of peace, thus improve governance; Pillar 2 which promotes the convergent delivery of services and goods focused on households and communities, thus reduce poverty; and Pillar 3 that link conflict affected areas to markets and promote jobs generation in provincial or municipal government, thus empower communities. “All Pamana projects for Sorsogon are under Pillar 3.

Asec. Halabaso, commended local officials of the province and the local chief executives and officials of the seven municipalities who went through the process to accomplish the Pamana projects and which are now enjoyed by thousands of beneficiaries because of its successful implementation.

He also assured the people of Sorsogon of the continuous support of President Benigno Aquino III through the OPAPP to achieve the administration’s peace and development agenda in the very near future.

Sorsogon Provincial Management Office Executive Director Sally A. Lee said that for Sorsogon, economic development through eco-tourism growth, road accessibility and provision of livelihood opportunities are seen as the main strategies that will contribute to the economic integration of conflict-affected areas to bigger economic growth areas of the province and eventually of the Bicol region.

She also thanked the Aquino administration for including the province among the list of priorities in its peace and development agenda. (MAL/BAR-PIA5 Sorsogon)