BY ADRIAN P. NEMES III
More than P140 million will be poured in by the Department of Public Works and Highways for the renovation of three satellite public markets in Bacolod City that will start this year.
Of the amount, P50 million will be used for the renovation of the satellite market in Barangay Banago, and another P50 million for the Brgy. Granada satellite market, Bacolod Lone District Rep. Greg Gasataya said, adding that the two projects are expected to be finished this year.
Gasataya said the remaining P40 million will be spent for the first phase of the renovation of the satellite market in Brgy. Sum-ag, and additional budget may be allotted for the completion of the project by next year.
He said the renovation of the satellite market in Sum-ag will take some time as it will be replaced with a two-storey structure with a parking lot.
Gasataya said there is a need to repair these markets as they are already in bad state, adding that the last repair of the Sum-ag market was back in 2012 yet.
FLYOVER
He added that he is also pushing for the construction of the third flyover in the city.
Based on the feasibility study conducted by the DPWH and forwarded to the National Economic and Development Authority, the flyover will be constructed along Burgos Street near Lopue’s East Center.
Initially, the flyover was to be put up in along Circumferential Road going to the Bacolod Government Center but the plan was changed, Gasataya said.
When the feasibility study was conducted, it was noted that the heavy volume of traffic is along Burgos Street and if the flyover will be constructed in that spot, only a few business establishments will be affected, he said.
Gasataya said the proposal was submitted three years ago but there is no feedback from NEDA yet.
The flyover project in Bacolod is among the five to 10 other flyover projects to be constructed in the Philippines as part of the Build-Build-Build program of President Rodrigo Duterte. While the construction of the flyover is still in limbo, Gasataya said they will focus on the implementation of other projects, like the three by-pass and access roads to be built in barangays Sum-ag, Granada, and Mandalagan.*
