BOTOLAN, Zambales — Ten towns that comprise the Second Legislative District of Zambales received hefty allocations totaling P6.99 billion in just one year with Representative Doris “Nanay Bing” Maniquiz sourcing funds for crucial infrastructure projects like flood-control dikes and roads.
Maniquiz, in her “Ulat sa Pangalawang Distrito ng Zambales” last Monday, said the one-year budget was double the infrastructure allocation received by the Second District in the last eight years.
The bulk of the allocations, or a total of P4.46 billion, went to 59 flood-control structures and road dikes designed to protect low-lying areas threatened by perennial flooding, as well as lahar surges during heavy rains, she said.
“These are not your ordinary kind of dikes that simply hold back water,” Maniquiz pointed out. “These are road-dikes that residents will also use to access their farms and other remote areas, as well as to transport local products safely and efficiently.”
The infrastructure allocations Maniquiz rolled out also included 37 new concrete road constructions; improvement of 22 national road sections; 22 school buildings; 12 public buildings and facilities; 38 irrigation projects; three solar water systems; and other miscellaneous projects like bridge construction and installation of solar lights.
Cong. Maniquiz pointed out that these projects, as well as similar initiatives in her I-HELP program for infrastructure, health, education, livelihood and people’s welfare, became possible with the help of Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romuladez and other officials who provided development funds for the Second District.
“I cannot thank the Speaker well enough for all his help, as well as his wife Congresswoman Yedda Romualdez of Tingog Partylist and Tingog 2nd nominee Cong. Jude Acidre, since the bulk of my funds for social services came from them,” she added.
Other than these, the Zambales solon cited financial assistance from Cong. Jocelyn Tulfo of ACT-CIS Partylist; Rep. Sandro Marcos; Diwa Partylist; and Senators Imee Marcos, Sonny Angara, Nancy Binay, Bong Go, Raffy Tulfo, Jinggoy Estrada, Loren Legarda, Lito Lapid, and Koko Pimentel.
She added that the Departments of Health, Department of Social Welfare and Development, and Department of Labor and Employment also provided funding under their respective financial assistance programs to add to the money she had sourced out after becoming Second District congresswoman last year.
“The generous help from our friends in Congress and in the Senate is the only reason why we were successful with a lot of development projects and constituent service in the Zambales Second District,” Maniquiz added. “We are really so blessed to have them.”