Zamboanga City News Bits – May 29, 2015

Mayor Beng Climaco and UN Habitat-Philippines Country Representative Christopher Rollo spearheaded the signing of a memorandum of understanding for sustainable and conflict-sensitive city development in a program called Achieving Sustainable Urban Development (ASUD). The ceremonies was held in Makati City Friday morning with Spanish Ambassador Luis Antonio Calvo Castaño and other officials as witnesses. ASUD promotes planned city extensions (PCE) as a proactive response to urban growthand an alternative to fringe expansion characterized by sprawling, segregated, and poorly connected developments. Portions of Barangay Mercedes and Zambowood (approximately 600 hectares) have been identified by local government as the extension site as well as the location for Zamboanga’s new airport.
The City Government-initiated Summer Learn to Play a Sports Program will formally culminate Saturday, May 30 with the graduation of 2,721 participants. Program is set at 8am at the City Coliseum. The training program intended for children aged 5-15, has been proven to be a very successful sports and youth development program, as most Zamboangueno athletes who won medals in national and international competitions are products of the city-sponsored initiative. The training covered 26 sports disciplines held in the different barangays.

Mayor Beng Climaco has issued executive order 118 temporarily declaring as one-way streets portion of Don Toribio Street from its junctions at Dr Estrada Street to C Atilano Street as well as Villarez Street going to the Zamboanga City High School-Main in Barangay Tetuan. The one-way street along the affected portion of Don Toribio Street will be enforced from 06:00 AM to 08:00 AM, 11:00 AM to 01:00 PM and 03:00 PM to 06:00 PM. The Villarez stretch will be imposed from 06:00 AM to 08:00 AM and 04:00 PM to 06:00 PM. Both schedules would be effective from June 01 to June 05 and June 08 to June 12, 2015.

The National Housing Authority (NHA) will turn over Saturday, May 30, the initial 127 houses on stilts in Mariki constructed under the Z3R program. The turnover, set at 3pm at Lupa-lupa, Mariki will be graced by Mayor Beng Climaco who will accept the ceremonial key from NHA prior to turnover to beneficiaries; NHA officials led by Regional Manager Engr. Alfonso Borlagdan and District Manager Engr. Al Indanan, other Z3R sector officials and Mariki barangay officials headed by chairperson Palma Hasim. The Mariki permanent housing is one of the Z3R packages with a total of 642 beneficiaries. The project has a total allocation of P137.72 million and sits in a 71,300 square meter-area with 642 housing on stilts units.