Pangasinan Fourth District Rep. Christopher de Venecia has tapped various national government agencies to do a convergence project with the municipality of Mangaldan which is now building a bike trail for health buffs along its winding river banks.
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| CONSTITUENTS. Congressman Toff de Venecia visited the first class town Mangaldan. He posterity poses with Mayor Bona Fe D. Parayno (4th from left) and staff of the treasury department. |
The bike trail is a brainchild of Mangaldan Mayor Bonafe Parayno, whose construction, De Venecia said, can be supported by the Departments of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Public Works and Highways, Tourism, Agriculture and Trade and Industry..
Convergence is a new scheme designed by the government to hasten the building of meaningful projects in the rural areas, where funds are often inadequate.
Under this, projects can still be done if only agencies of the national government and the Local Government Units pool their respective manpower as well as their resources through a process called convergence.
" I think this Bona (nickname of Mayor Parayno) bike trail is a most welcome one. This project can lead to the establishment of eco-parks in different villages of Mangaldan,to be patronized firstly by the bikers and other nature lovers," De Venecia said.
But he noticed that banks of rivers to be used as bike trail,are now mostly eroded, that is why there is a need for dredging to make these deeper, a move that can also fortify their banks, he added.
This jibes with De Venecia's plan for Mangaldan to become the wellness capital of the Fourth District of Pangasinan if not in the entire province.
He proposed the planting of fruit-bearing and shade trees and other plants on both sides of the Bona Bike Trail as part of the National Greening Program being implemented by DENR..
The DPWH as well as the local government can help each other build the bike trail using their own men and equipment while DA and DTI can provide livelihood to residents living near the bike trail.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) can promote the bike trail and the development of eco-parks
"We will help Mayor Parayno look for plants, ornamental and medicinal, that could help boost the livelihood of the people living near the rivers of Mangaldan. like for instance ilang-ilang,"said De Venecia said.
The private sector, he said, can come in by building a zip line, for rent picnic sheds restaurants and by offering kayaking along the town's rivers.
De Venecia also threw his support to the plan of Mayor Parayno to put up a night market in Mangaldan, similar to the weekend night market of Laoag and in Dagupan City, only during its fiestas.
Bigger proto-types of this project are the existing night markets daily in Quezon City as well as Mandaluyong City.
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