Multi-million MOA on provincial road management facility signed

2009/09/18

Multi-million MOA on provincial road management facility signed

by Dave M. Suyao

Butuan City (18 September) -- The Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Rod Smith and Agusan del Sur Governor Maria Valentina Plaza strengthen another partnership by signing a Memorandum of Agreement signaling the start of a multi-million pesos Provincial Road Management Facility assistance in Agusan del Sur.

The four-year project, costing some P160 million, will cover the maintenance of provincial roads in the municipalities of Esperanza and San Francisco.

"The relationship between the Australian government and Agusan del Sur has gone a long way, and I am honored to be part of all the endeavor specially this new undertaking in support to Agusan del Sur. As the Secretary of DILG Ronaldo Puno emphasized, Agusan del Sur will always be on the top list on local development, specially on the infrastructure, as major component," DILG Undersecretary Austere Panadero said.

According to Usec Panadero, the newly signed MOA is a new policy/ program in road maintenance in improving governance in the provinces. In Mindanao, only five provinces became the recipient of the program namely Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental and Occidental, Surigao del Norte and Agusan del Sur, being an economic-driver provinces in Mindanao that embark in new reforms.

"I want you to know that being a recipient of the project is not just a co-incidence but everything passed thru a very rigid selection process and the commitment of your province in economic development became very visible in this part of Mindanao", Usec Panadero added.

According to Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Rod Smith, the success of numerous projects that the Australian government poured to the province became one of the factors why they choose Agusan del Sur to be one of the recipients of this multi-million project.

"As experienced in our past assisted projects in Agusan del Sur, our confidence in the administration of Gov. Maria Valentina Plaza became one of our basis that this project will again become a total success, that is why we have chosen you to be on top as recipient of this project", Amb. Smith said.

In response, Gov. Maria Valentina "Tina" Plaza expressed her sincere gratitude to the government of Australia for all the unselfish assistance to the province for several years now thru the AusAID. Gov. Tina Plaza recalled that everything started when AusAID helped in totally eradicating malaria in the interior areas in Agusan del Sur and the child-friendly movement, among others.

"To our Australian partners, we are very grateful that you are always with us in the equitable and fair growth of development in Agusan del Sur. As I stand here, we commit ourselves to protect the projects specially the road networks because we believe this will bring positive changes in our province. With this, we now translate everything into productive success and will flourish under my administration and the rest of the administrations to come", Gov. Tina said.

The MOA signing was witnessed by former Governor Valentina Plaza, former Governor Eddiebong Plaza, Vice Governor Santiago Cane Jr. members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan and the mayors of Agusan del Sur. (PIA, Agusan del Sur)

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