Spain Turns Over P110-M Projects to Albay

LEGAZPI CITY--The Spanish government through the Agencia Español de Cooperacion Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID) turned over on Thursday some P110 million worth of infrastructure projects to the province of Albay, Governor Joey Sarte Salceda said.
The turnover ceremonies led by Luis Romero Arias, Spanish Ambassador to the Philippines and Salceda including city and town executives here were held separately on Thursday in the cities of Legazpi, Ligao and the town of Daraga where the Spanish government projects are located.
Salceda said the P110 million were financial assistance given by Spain to the province heavily devastated by two super typhoons and the Mayon Volcano eruption in 2006.
Salceda said aside from the projects recently turned over by the AECID, another P160.5 million projects are being finalized by the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (APSEMO) in coordination with AECID involving proposals for a disaster risk reduction project in Albay.
He said that P60.5 million of the total amount has been approved with signed project acceptance by the Spanish government, involving construction of two emergency evacuation centers in the towns of Camalig and Guinobatan and the strengthening of APSEMO by providing the office with the latest state-of-the-art communication system to be used in pre and post-disaster operations.
At the turnover rites, Spanish Ambassador Arias said his country is committed to assist the Philippines since the Philippines and Spain have maintained close ties for several centuries.
Arias said “our countries are sisters and we have ratified these commitments to reduce poverty in the country including the preservation of lives and properties during natural disasters.”
Arias said, “We are also committed to fight the illeffects of climate change,” as he announced that he will earmark some P15 million as funding for the strengthening of the province’s agriculture and livestock industry.
Salceda, for his part, expressed his deep gratitude for the Spanish government assistance, saying that “he will forever be grateful to the terms of endearment and engagement given by Spain to his province.”
Ambassador Arias and Legazpi City Mayor Noel Rosal formally signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) granting the city P93 million for the implementation of a comprehensive solid waste management project.
Rosal said the project involves the setting up of an efficient solid waste management system in the city designed to improve the social and environmental condition of residents in this city.
He said the project will be established in a 12-hectare land owned by the city government in Barangay Banquerohan, some 22 kilometers from the city proper.
Rosal said the project has four components, namely: sanitary land fill development; materials recovery system; reduction, and recycling system and project administration.
In Ligao City, the Spanish Ambassador turned over to Gov. Salceda the newly renovated Doña Josefina Belmonte Duran Memorial District Hospital (DJBDMDH), a 50-bed tertiary hospital servicing the medical needs of residents in the seven towns and a city in the third district of Albay.
The AECID released some P14 million in 2007 for the renovation of the district hospital worth P8 million and hospital equipment worth P6 million. In Daraga, Albay, the Spanish government also turned over the newly constructed P13-million evacuation center located at the top floor of the new Daraga Public Market.
The evacuation center will be used in times of disaster. In normal times it will be used as training center for livelihood projects and the likes. (PNA)