Palace: Roxas Blvd. rehab also good for tourism

The P250-million makeover of Roxas Boulevard for two upcoming international conferences would also boost tourism, Malacañang said Sunday in reply to allegations of extravagance.

A newly redeveloped Roxas Boulevard would welcome world and business leaders taking part in two big events in Manila: the World Economic Forum on East Asia in 2014 and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) forum in 2015, officials said.

The eight-lane stretch from Manila, which also passes through the cities of Pasay and Parañaque, is a major gateway to the country’s capital from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. It is one of the busiest thoroughfares in Manila.

“This is not just for the Apec in 2015. That will not be a singular event. It will be yearlong. There will be ministerial meetings held at least once a month, beginning December 2014, all the way to the conclusion of the leaders’ summit,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said.

With ministers flying in for monthly meetings in the run-up to the conferences, the capital should expect an “influx of foreign visitors,” she added.

“Once the ministerial meetings begin, the projected number of visitors would be 700,” she said over government-run dzRB. But the main goal is to expand the boulevard and make the flow of traffic there seamless given the expected influx of visitors.

Kabataan party-list Rep. Terry Ridon earlier criticized the government for wasting so much money on a project for the sake of “image-building,” an amount that would be better spent on school buildings.

The amount could easily build more than 400 classrooms, Ridon said in a statement.

“At a time when social services are in dire need of funds while joblessness and poverty continue to worsen, it is insensitive for the government to spend lavishly for image-building,” he added.