Arroyo Leads Groundbreaking Rites of Tarlac-La Union Highway

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo led the groundbreaking ceremonies of the 84.5-kilometer, P11.5-billion Tarlac-La Union Toll Expressway (TLUTE), a Malacañang spokesperson said on radio Monday.

The new highway, to be completed in 2013, is expected to cut travel time to Manila of farmers and traders carrying agricultural products from northern and central Luzon by an hour.

"It will especially be advantageous to farmers from the North, like Baguio," Fajardo said over government station Radyo ng Bayan, adding that the expressway from Tarlac to La Union, could extend to as far as Binangonan in Rizal.

The TLUTE will also connect to the now existing Subic-Clark-Tarlac Express way (SCTEX), which will open commercially on April 28.

Reports said vehicles would be charged P2 per kilometer for the 94-kilometer highway.

Thunderbird Ready To Open Golf Course And Hotel

Panama-based Thunderbird Resorts Inc. has set for soft opening within the second quarter its golf course and hotel in Poro Point, La Union, as the firm pursues opportunities for the country to serve as its gaming hub in Southeast Asia.

In a 2007 fourth-quarter report released last week, Thunderbird also said it plans to expand its casino at the former naval facility where it is undertaking a P5-billion multi-stage project.

Last November, the company announced that it was allocating some $14.5 million or some P600 million to complete expansion projects in both Cainta, Rizal--where its first facility is located--and Poro Point.

Additionally, Thunderbird had set aside $6.3 million or some P260 million for the construction of a third hotel and casino complex in Cavite City, where it has entered into a preliminary agreement to lease a property in the Island Cove area.

However, the firm said last week it had dropped plans for the Cavite project, citing delays in securing a gaming license.

At Poro Point in San Fernando City, Thunderbird is set to open a nine-hole golf course, which may be expanded to 18 holes depending on whether the government would agree to lease more land.

As for the hotel, it would be opened with an initial batch of 40 rooms although "there is space to expand modularly up to 250 rooms over time as demand merits."

Further, Thunderbird is considering to expand by 1,000 square meters its existing casino at Poro Point to allow for the addition of 120 slot machines and 56 tables as well as food and beverage operations.

Expansion work on the Poro Point casino--which currently has 177 slot machines and 192 tables--is expected to start within this quarter, with expanded operation set for the first quarter of 2009.

Last September, Thunderbird announced it was investing some P5 billion at the Poro Point freeport zone over the next five years to turn a 65-hectare area "into a travel destination that can compete with Phuket and Bali."

In developing a viable prime tourist drawer in La Union, Thunderbird was banking on the growing domestic and international markets that are seeking more and more sophisticated business and leisure offerings.

Last week, Thunderbird said its management believes that the Philippines "will provide additional opportunities for expansion in the future, as well as serving as our hub for further expansion into southeast Asia."

Thunderbird's current operations are spread over Panama, Costa Rica, the Philippines, Peru, Nicaragua and Guatemala.

In Cainta, Thunderbird has started work on the expansion of the hotel and casino facility to accommodate a 990-square-meter event center that can hold up to 900 people.

Aside from that, planned additions include those in the food and beverage area as well as 200 new slot machines and 28 tables.

Completion of expansion in Cainta--which currently has 292 slot machines and 193 tables--is expected in the fourth quarter this year.

La Union Has Enough Rice Supply – NFA

"There is no rice shortage in La Union", said National Food Authority (NFA) officials here.

La Union has a stock of 196,070 rice bags in the NFA warehouse as of April 9, enough supply for 40 days according to NFA La Union Provincial Manager Renato Y. Sanedrin.

Another 280,000 rice bags imported from Vietnam arrived last Monday at the San Fernando City Port, and that would be good for another two months, he added.

Meanwhile, NFA-La Union has increased the rice allocation of the City of San Fernando and the 19 municipalities to ensure that enough cheap government rice is available and properly distributed. It is also currently maintaining 124 Tindahan Natin outlets provincewide and is rehabilitating inactive ones.

To prevent rice diversion, over-pricing and profiteering, the food agency has intensified its market monitoring activities through its created four Palengke Watch Teams.

Each team is assigned in five municipalities to monitor daily the selling activities of NFA rice outlets including the Tindahan Natin outlets.

To protect consumers from unscrupulous rice traders, President Arroyo herself is leading the charge to crack down on any form of corruption by public or private officials who would divert supplies or pervert the price of this essential commodity in anyway.

President Arroyo launched recently a three-phased government Food Plan to ensure the steady supply of affordable rice in the country amid a tightening inventory of the cereal worldwide.