| BAYANI PUSHES FOR MASS-TRANSPORT SYSTEM TO BOOST TRADE, TOURISM |
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BAGUIO CITY – Bagumbayan vice presidential candidate and former MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando disclosed yesterday his plans to push for a mass transport system which he said is the key to boost the country’s economy. Bayani made this statement before city officials, local leaders and residents of Baguio City during the celebration of ‘Penagbenga’ or the famous flower festival here in the city of Pines. Bayani said the immediate construction of a mass transport system or railroad transportation that would traverse major provinces in Luzon from Ilocos Region all the way down to Region five or the Province of Sorsogon and vice-versa is imperative in order to provide faster and safer delivery of people and goods as well. Bayani, the former Marikina City Mayor said Baguio, the summer capital of the Philippines is attracting thousands of tourists every year but he said it will further boost its tourism industry if transportation going in and out of the city will be faster and safer. Moreover, he explained that with a better transportation the delivery of vegetables and other agricultural crops harvested from the Mt. Province will be cheaper and can be brought in no-time to the markets of Metro Manila. He added that this would give fresher and much cheaper vegetables available for the people. “Developed countries have very efficient mass transport system. If we really want progress, it is high-time that we improve our tourism and trade industries through a faster, more advanced and safer transportation and I, being an engineer is offering my services to get these things done,” Bayani, a Mechanical engineer and former Secretary of Department of Public Works and Highways said. During his visit to the highlands, Bayani took time to visit some areas which were destroyed by landslides last year during onslaught of typhoons Ondoy and Peping. Wearing his trademark engineer safety hat, Bayani inspected some major roads such Kennon Road, Marcos Highway, Naguilian Road and some areas in La Trinidad Benget and talked to some landslide victims regarding the rehabilitation of their communities. “What our country needs is a leader who is an Engineer like Bayani who can help us. BF is a no-nonsense leader who has the Political will to get things done. We need a working Vice President and not those who just good in delivering speeches,” Manong Ben, a local resident of La Trinidad Benguet, lamented in Ilocano dialect. Bayani is the running mate of Bagumbayan Party standard bearer Senator Richard Gordon. Meanwhile Senator Gordon disclosed that part of their platform is to prioritize the rehabilitation of the country’ mass-transport system including conversion of the coastlines in Luzon into a tourism destination. Gordon said that Bayani as an Engineer, has the knowledge, capability and political will to realize the infrastructures needed to achieve their vision. Gordon and Bayani are known as “ The Transformers” for having transformed their respective localities into progressive cities. Gordon was the Mayor of Olonggapo, former Secretary of Toursim and Chairman of the Subic Bay Development Authority while Bayani was the Mayor of Marikina City, DPWH Secretary and former MMDA Chair. |