GENERAL SANTOS CITY — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced on Friday that the government will intensify infrastructure development in the Soccsksargen region through its “Build, Better, More” program, aiming to stimulate economic progress throughout the area.
According to Philippines News Agency, the ongoing development of General Santos (GenSan) is progressing well under the national government’s infrastructure initiative. “The development of GenSan is going well. What the national government will do is to continue infrastructure development through the ‘Build, Better, More’ program that we’re implementing. Once we open up various places, it’s clear that their economic situation will improve,” President Marcos explained. He noted that enhancing the region’s infrastructure would not only improve economic conditions but also create new income opportunities and additional jobs.
President Marcos also highlighted the government’s focus on supporting the agricultural and fishing sectors by providing essential resources such as corn and palay seeds, fertilizers, farm equipment, and processing machinery. He further committed to enhancing the fishery industry’s infrastructure by adding more cold storage facilities. “You have plenty of cold storage here because of an active fishing industry. We call that ‘we invest in success’. GenSan is already successful in that aspect and that’s where the government will invest,” he stated.
Fishery, particularly tuna fishing and canned tuna processing, is a major industry in General Santos City. The city is also active in agriculture, engaging in the production of coconut, pineapple, asparagus, bananas, and rice.
A key infrastructure project under the spotlight is the construction of the General Santos City underpass/interchange. This 740-linear meter project, led by the Department of Public Works and Highways-Soccsksargen, features a 560-linear meter underpass tunnel and includes a bike lane, marking it as the first mega infrastructure initiative in the region.