Bacolod City – Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez has vowed continued support to the Marcos administration through the implementation of programs and projects that would complement the initiatives of the national government.
“As the city mayor of Bacolod, I am committed to aligning our local government efforts with the national agenda to bring about positive change for our citizens,” Benitez said in a statement after attending President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s second State of the Nation Address at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City recently.
He also expressed his “heartfelt gratitude to the President for his unwavering dedication to the welfare of our nation”.
Benitez, who chairs both the Regional Development Council-Western Visayas (RDC-6) and the National Economic Development Authority Board-Regional Development Committee, Visayas Area Committee, said he is “confident that similar dedication (of supporting the national agenda) is mirrored in leaders across the country.”
“Hand in hand with the national government, we shall work tirelessly to fulfill the aspirations of every Filipino, knowing that the administration’s efforts benefit not only Bacolod but the entire nation,” he added.
In Bacolod, the first local government unit to sign an agreement with the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development to implement the administration’s flagship “Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Housing Program” (4PH), and the first two buildings of the Yuhum Residences in Barangay Vista Alegre are underway and expected to be completed in October.
Citing the 4PH in his address, the Chief Executive vowed to expand the shelter program to provide affordable housing to millions of homeless Filipinos, adding that groundbreaking has already been held in 25 areas across the country and agreements have been signed to start the projects in more than a hundred locations.
Under the Mega Bridge Program, among the inter-island bridge programs mentioned by the President is the 32-kilometer Panay-Guimaras-Negros Island Bridges, whose funding and implementation has been approved by the RDC-6 in October last year.
Meanwhile, the Bacolod mayor’s younger brother, Negros Occidental (3rd District) Rep. Jose Francisco Benitez, also extended his “utmost support” in the House of Representatives for the President’s legislative agenda and future plans.
“The district and I wholeheartedly extend our profound congratulations to His Excellency, President Ferdinand ‘BongBong’ Marcos Jr., on his second SONA. May this pave the way for sustained progress and development in the Philippines,” he added. (news/photo PNA/ Chrysee Semillano via TVDS)
