Senate President Francis Escudero on Thursday said the infrastructure projects under the Marcos administration are expected to push the province toward greater progress and development. Escudero welcomed President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. who led the inauguration of the Sorsogon Sports Arena (SSA) in Barangay Balogo, this city, on the occasion of the province's 130th anniversary and the 50th Kasanggayahan Festival. "Mr. President, hindi pa kami tapos at malayo pa ang aming lalakbayin, at buo ang aking paniniwala na sa tulong ninyo sa ilalim ng inyong administrasiyon at sa sinusulong ng pamahalaan Build Back Better, marami pa kaming magagawa, mapapatunayan, at makikita upang sa gayon maisakatuparan namin ang aming pangarap at mithiin para sa aming inang lalawigan (Mr. President, we are not done yet and we still have a long way to go, and I fully believe that with your help under your administration and the government's Build Back Better, we can do a lot more, prove, and see so that we can realize our dream a nd goals for our mother province)," Escudero said in his message. Some of the ongoing multi-year projects that are expected to be completed in the province under the present administration are the Sorsogon Coastal Road in Sorsogon City, Donsol-Pilar-Castilla Road, and Bacon-Manito Road. Escudero admitted that residents of the province previously lacked pride about being from Sorsogon. "Pero ngayon, tuwing may magtatanonog sa amin kung taga saan kami, taas noo ng sasagot ang mga taga Sorsogon, taga Sorsogon ini, Sorsogonanon ini (But now, whenever someone asks us where we are from, the people from Sorsogon will answer with their heads raised, I am from Sorsogon, I am a Sorsogonanon)," he added. The President recognized the newly completed sports arena as a symbol of persistence toward development for the Bicol region, particularly in Sorsogon province. "Kaya hindi natin maikakailang simbolo ng progreso ang Sorsogon Sports Arena. [Sumasalamin] ito sa patuloy na pagsisikap, pagtitiyaga, at pag-unlad ng mga Sorsoganon at mga Bikolano (That is why we cannot deny that the Sorsogon Sports Arena is a symbol of progress. It [reflects] the continuous efforts, perseverance, and development of Sorsogonans and Bicolanos)," Marcos said. He said the SAA is also an important step in developing the youth who possess great potentials in the field of sports. "Sa tulong nito, mabibigyan sila ng pagkakataon upang mahasa pa ang kanilang mga talent. (With the help of this [arena], they will be given the opportunity to further hone their talents)," the President said. Marcos said aside from being a sports training facility, the SAA can also be used for conferences, summits, concerts, and competitions. The SSA is a 37,794.01-square-meter sports facility, patterned after the Colosseum in Rome. With an estimated seating capacity of 12,000 people, it can accommodate athletes and other guests in its 139 rooms, including 39 dorm-type rooms with 560-bed capacity. It has two infirmaries, an eight-lane rubberized track and field area, and a huge space for other sporting events. Source: Philippines News agency
Sunday, October 20, 2024