Reporters tour Naga’s dev’t areas, key projects
By Noreen Alegre and Jeena Ansano
ACCOMPANIED by Naga Mayor Nelson Legacion, reporters and broadcast journalists from various media outfits went on a city tour last Saturday, February 24, 2024.
The main purpose of the tour was to provide updates on the ongoing construction of several infrastructure projects and key growth areas in the city.
The tour included visits to nine locations: Sta. Cruz Development Area, People’s Park and Recreation Center, Almeda-Mabolo Road, Balatas Development Centers 1 and 2, road widening projects in Balatas, Cararayan, and Del Rosario, Naga City Convention Center and Economic Zones, and Carolina Development Area.
A key highlight was the development on the construction of the Naga City Center for Safety and Resilience (CeSaR) in Balatas. This center will house the offices of the Public Safety Office (PSO), City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), Emergency Medical Services, and other facilities related to peace and order in the city.
Adjacent to the center will be an office for the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and another one that will serve as the headquarters of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Although funding has not been allocated, Legacion mentioned that the administration of SM Supermalls has committed 30 million pesos for equipment procurement. He also noted that the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has a program that the local government can access for funding assistance. Additionally, funds from the CDRRM will be used for the purchase of such equipment.
With state-of-the-art facilities and a helipad on top of the three-story building, Legacion emphasized that the center is intended to be the best command center compared to those in other cities or regions.
Another project visited in Balatas was the Out-Patient Department (OPD) building of the Naga City General Hospital. The project has been completed and is awaiting blessing and turnover for utilization.
Due to the high volume of customers trooping the Naga City People’s Mall, plans are also in place to construct three additional satellite markets in Sta. Cruz, Balatas, and Carolina, with an estimated budget of around 70 million pesos.
In Mabolo, construction is also underway for the access road going to the new Philippine National Railways (PNR) Station, which will be located in Almeda. Along this road, the six-hectare Naga People’s Park and Recreation and the Bicol River Esplanade will be established and are expected to be completed after three to five years.
The tour culminated in Carolina, the site of a housing project for the Naga City government employees, and other structures and edifices such as a satellite market, a viewing deck, and a terminal for traditional and modern jeepneys, and trimobiles.
He stressed that “it is important that proof of one’s perseverance is visible. It’s not enough for a public servant to excel only in talking. Accomplishments must be apparent and tangible so that they can contribute to the achievement of progress and development.