Jun Torres

Taxes from dams fund schools, tourism sites

PANTABANGAN, Nueva Ecija – Aside from boosting the eco-tourism potentials, revenue collections from real property taxes from the operators of the Pantabangan Dam and multi-million peso Casecnan projects are funding the modernization of schools in this mountain resort town.

Pantabangan mayor Romeo Borja Sr. said an estimated P418-million worth of school buildings will be constructed by the municipal government which, once finished, will modernize all schools here in 2009.

Borja said the school buildings that will be constructed will house 200 classrooms, home economics building, library, computer room and DVD and TV monitors.

“Once these have been set in place, our elementary schools will be one of the most modern in the entire country,” he said.

He said the funding for the project will come from the Special Education Fund drawn from the revenue collections from dam operators. He said 500 laminated armchairs have also been acquired by the municipal government for use of the schools.

The tourism industry is also expected to make a boom once the Bongabon-Pantabangan(Nueva Ecija)-Baler (Aurora) Road Improvement Project is completed because it will hasten travel time by two hours.

The 100-kilometer road project which started February 2000 as part of the 22nd Yen Loan packages: Bongabon-Rizal-Pantabangan section; Pantabangan-Canili section; Canili-Bazal section; and Bazal, Ma. Aurora-San Luis Section.

Borja said Package 1, which has a total funding of P1 billion, is composed of a by-pass road from Rizal town to Barangay Cambitala, stretching 21.28 kilometers. It is composed of five bridges, three of which are new and two for rehabilitation. He said Package 2, which is 31.36 kilometers long, has four bridges.

He said he is expecting that projects will trigger development for the second-class Pantabangan municipality. the town has 14 barangays spread over 39,269 hectares with 17 mountains that has heights varying from 80 to 1,174 meters above sea level.

He said the municipal government will also provide infrastructure facilities for the three national high schools in the town.

Apart from the school building boom, a ‘Teachers’ Camp, similar to the one in Baguio City will also be constructed starting next month in a five-hectare site in Barangay East Poblacion at a cost of P200 million.

Borja said the compsite will house a jamboree site which can accommodate between 1,000 to 2,000 boy scouts, a convention center, villa, children’s playground and a family room.

He said many tourist have expressed interest in Pantabangan, which is considered as a cross between Baguio City and Tagaytay City with its cold climate, inviting sceneries and stable peace and order condition.