DAGUPAN CITY,
Philippines - The Chinese government has pledged
to build several projects in the Philippine
province of Pangasinan aimed at creating economic
opportunities and improving health, sanitation and
food, as well as increasing local incomes and
taxes for the Philippine government.
This
was announced by Jose de Venecia Jr, Speaker of
the Philippine House of Representatives, who
hosted Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Li
Jinjun here on Sunday before the two were guests
of honor and speakers during a program
hosted by the Dagupan City
Lions Club.
De Venecia said Li offered the
help of the Chinese government to undertake
feasibility studies at no cost to the Philippine
government for the laying of kilometers of
pipeline that would convey fresh water from the
San Roque Multi-Purpose Project in eastern
Pangasinan to the province's central plain.
The Chinese government is also interested
in other projects, including the construction of a
tractor factory - to be located at Clark or in
Pangasinan - a cement plant in western Pangasinan,
and a Chinese-Philippine Fishery Research and
Development Center in Dagupan City.
De
Venecia said the feasibility study for the water
pipeline will cost from P50 million to P100
million (US$1 million to $2 million) but this does
not include the project itself, which will be
discussed further with the Chinese government.
The project involves the laying of
kilometers of pipeline that will bring water by
gravity to the central plain of Pangasinan, where
the wells are now drying up and being contaminated
by salt water. De Venecia said Philippine
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was delighted to
hear that the Chinese ambassador agreed that his
government would immediately undertake feasibility
studies for the project and to determine its final
cost.
"Imagine, from being the cause of
destruction during the flood season, the water of
the San Roque dam will soon be used for drinking
purposes, aside from irrigation," de Venecia said.
The pipeline project was welcomed by de
Venecia because the sub-surface water in Dagupan,
San Fabian, Binmaley, Lingayen and other coastal
towns of Pangasinan is now contaminated by water
from the South China Sea. He blamed the emergence
of health problems on the intrusion of salt water
into the water table in those places.
At
the same time, Li has expressed the Chinese
government's interest in building a modern cement
plant in western Pangasinan, possibly near the
southern border with Zambales province.
De
Venecia said a cement plant in western Pangasinan
would not only create jobs and generate income in
the province, but would also help reduce the high
cost of cement in the Philippines.
"Cement
in the Philippines costs P180 [$3.60] per bag
whereas in China, cement costs only P80 per bag.
No wonder we can't build cheap roads, airports and
mass housing," de Venecia said.
The
Chinese ambassador also expressed his government's
interest in building a tractor factory in either
Clark or Pangasinan.
Li donated three
tractors to Pangasinan of the same type that the
Chinese aim to produce in the Philippines.
After touring the National Integrated
Fisheries Technology Development Center in Bonuan
Binloc, Li proposed the establishment of a
Chinese-Philippine Fisheries Research Center in
Dagupan City. The center would complement and
expand on research on the integration of white
shrimp with milkfish, which the Chinese are
already involved in.
This joint project,
said de Venecia, would be a big boon to the
250,000 hectares of fishponds throughout the
Philippines, benefiting some 300,000-400,000
families.
De Venecia said he also invited
the Chinese government to help the Philippine
government expand its rice and corn hybrid
programs, post-harvest facilities such as
fish-processing plants, and feed mills and
paddle-wheel equipment, as well as develop
fishponds and establish fishery ports.
