(Photo credit: San Juan City PIO)
(San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora, DILG Sec. Benhur Abalos, MMDA Chairperson Romando Artes, other San Juan LGU, and MMDA representatives discuss the proposed plan of beautifying San Juan River easement and linear park) (Screengrab: Mayor Francis Zamora FB Page)
QUEZON CITY (PIA) -- In a bid to develop the linear park adjacent to San Juan River and to provide more green open spaces in the metro, various national government agencies together with the San Juan City government conduct an ocular inspection along the banks of the river in Barangay Batis, as part of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority’s “Neighborhood Upgrading Project: Beautification of San Juan River easements."
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benhur Abalos, Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Secretary Jerry Acuzar, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairperson Romando Artes, San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora and some Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) representatives were present to inspect the possible scope of the project.
(Abandoned linear park in Barangay Batis, along the banks of San Juan River) (Photo credit: San Juan City PIO)
This initiative is part of the environmental program of MMDA wherein they tap local governments and partners to clean up and improve the overall banks along the Pasig River and its tributaries.
“We are very excited to partner in another beautification project with the MMDA, especially one that will greatly improve the way our linear park looks. We also wanted to create more open spaces for San Juaneños and in turn educate them in caring for the environment,” said Mayor Zamora in a statement.
“Nabanggit po ni Mayor Zamora kami po ay gagawa ng mahabang linear park dito. Hindi lang po dito sa bayan ng San Juan, diretso po yan ng Manila hanggang Quezon City. Nadiscuss po namin kay Secretary Abalos at kay Secretary Acuzar at pagtutulung-tulungan naman po namin i-develop ‘to,” said Chairperson Artes for his part.
(Translation: Mayor Zamora mentioned that we will develop a long linear park here. Not just in the City of San Juan, it will go straight to Manila all the way to Quezon City. We already discussed this with Secretary Abalos and Secretary Acuzar and we will work together to develop this.)
(Photo credit: San Juan City PIO)
Zamora then revealed the two other projects that will be developed in the city, besides the linear park.
“Pangalawa, atin pong ipepresenta kay Secretary Acuzar ang tatlong lote na pwede nating lagyan ng 4PH program o yung Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Program ni Pangulong Marcos,” he said.
(Translation: Secondly, we will present three lots to Secretary Acuzar that the 4PH program or the Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Program of President Marcos can be implemented.)
“At pangatlo, dahil ang San Juan River po ay tributary ng Pasig River angkop po ito sa Rehabilitation Program ni Pangulong Marcos at ni First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos sa kanilang muling pagbubuhay ng Pasig River,” Zamora added.
(Translation: Third, because the San Juan River is a tributary of Pasig River, it is inclined with the Rehabilitation Program of President Marcos and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos in their goal of revitalizing Pasig River.)
By 2028, San Juan City hopes to make the 8-kilometer linear park an esplanade with biking and jogging paths, gardens and events places for residents and citizens of Metro Manila to enjoy. (PIA-NCR)
