P2.9 billion earmarked for infra in Lapu-Lapu City in 2024 —Marcos

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Saturday said the government has earmarked P2.9 billion for infrastructure projects in Lapu-Lapu City in Cebu in 2024.

"The government, for its part, will also continue to invest in its success, which is why in 2024, the DPWH [Department of Public Works and Highways] is funding about 2.9 billion pesos in infrastructure projects here in Lapu-Lapu City alone," Marcos said in his speech during the capsule laying of the Mactan Expo Center in Mactan Newtown.

The said infrastructure projects cover road widening, as well as the construction of the Cebu-Mactan 4th Bridge and a coastal road.

"These include road widening projects that will help decongest traffic along major thoroughfares such as Mactan Circumferential Road and the Mactan Airport Road," the president said.

"The government will also pursue major projects aimed at improving road connectivity and addressing traffic congestion such as the ODA-assisted Cebu-Mactan 4th Bridge and the Lapu-Lapu City Coastal Road," he added.

During the event, Marcos said the world-class Mactan Expo Center being built by the Alliance Global Group "will be a source of pride not just for Cebu, but for the entire country."

"Currently, there has yet to be a standalone convention center in the province and this 1.5-billion peso Mactan Expo Center is truly a first-of-a-kind development here in Cebu," he said.

Having the expo center, which is near the Mactan-Cebu International Airport and various resorts and hotels, will enable the country to generate more employment and business opportunities as the project will tap the huge potential of the Meetings, Incentives, and Exhibitions or the MICE sector, Marcos added.

The Mactan Expo Center is located in Mactan Newtown, a township being developed by Megaworld. —KG, GMA Integrated News