Sun.Star Cebu

Arroyo in town ‘to tie up loose ends’

- ELIAS O. BAQUERO / Reporter

Two House committees will hold separate hearings in Cebu on Monday, Feb. 18, on new roll-onroll-off (roro) routes, and to sort out issues concerning housing for the urban poor on Armed Forces of the Philippine­s (AFP)-Central Command (Centcom) lots.

The first hearing will be at 11 a.m. at the social hall of the Cebu Port Authority (CPA). It will be conducted by House oversight committee on transporta­tion chaired by Catanduane­s Rep. Cesar Sarmiento.

The second hearing will be at 2 p.m. at the Centcom to be conducted by the House over-

The Strong Republic Nautical Highway is a 919-kilometer system of roads and ports developed by the administra­tion of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to connect the major islands of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao in 2003.

Arroyo, through Presidenti­al Proclamati­on 409 issued in 2003, awarded a “disputed” property in Barangay Apas, Cebu City to urban poor beneficiar­ies

sight committee on housing chaired by Negros Occidental Rep. Albee Benitez.

House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will attend both hearings.

Arroyo had earlier pushed for the expansion and modernizat­ion of the roro system, which was launched during her term as president.

CPA General Manager Angelo Verdan said the Strong Republic Nautical Highways (SRNH) was implemente­d to bring down the cost of transporti­ng goods and services.

He said the House committee wanted to further promote the roro system, particular­ly opening new routes in areas without sea transport.

He said Arroyo wanted to have an effective SRNH, especially since President Duterte had recognized the importance of roro as a cheap means of transporta­tion.

Arroyo’s office sent a press statement that she had conducted an oversight hearing on the roro system to check the status of existing ports nationwide and the revival of canceled projects.

On the housing oversight, Arroyo wanted to find a solution to the problem surroundin­g the property in Barangay Apas, Cebu City, which she had awarded to urban poor beneficiar­ies through Presidenti­al Proclamati­on 409 that she issued in 2003.

The property in Apas belonged to the Provincial Government. In 1959, it donated to the AFP 47 parcels of land covering 80 hectares with the condition that the property would revert to the Province if it was no longer used for military purposes.

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