BCDA earmarks P76M for 3 La Union projects

State-run Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) has earmarked about P76 million to fund three road projects aimed at improving tourism in and access to the Poro Point Freeport Zone (PPFZ) in La Union.

In a statement, the BCDA identified the three projects as the construction of the road leading to the Poro Point Lighthouse, repair of the road leading to the Poro Point Management Corp. (PPMC), and the upgrading of the road leading to the San Fernando Airport.

“This initiative is in line with the BCDA’s mandate to be a catalyst for national growth and development.  The PPFZ is a key economic driver in the region, and these road projects will make it more accessible to tourists and locators,” said BCDA president and CEO Arnel Paciano D. Casanova.

PPMC chair Ives Q. Nisce said the three projects, which were launched recently by the Department of Public Works and Highways, would be “instrumental in boosting tourism and economic activities in the freeport zone, particularly the annual Sillag Festival, one of San Fernando’s biggest tourist draws.”

The said projects will also help address the perennial flooding problem in the area,  according to Nisce.

Planning for the project started in 2012 while funds were appropriated last July. The projects are expected to be completed by February 2014, in time for the Sillag Festival.

“Through these infrastructure projects, La Union can maximize its potential to become the business and leisure hub in the North,” Casanova further stressed.