INTRODUCTION
We have just inaugurated a major road project that is expected to greatly ease and promote our people’s welfare in the heart of metropolitan manila.

In behalf of the Filipino people, I wish to express our heartfelt appreciation to the Japanese government for the financial assistance it extended to this p306 million project through its Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund (OECF).

The Japanese government has been supporting many of our development projects nationwide and the Filipino people are grateful.
REMOVING THE BOTTLENECK
The opening of this EDSA-Shaw overpass and its peripheral approaches and service roads should eliminate the irritating traffic bottlenecks in this area that commuters had to go through in the performance of their daily activities.

Aside from serving the “four corners” of metro manila, this road project will also serve as an important link to the other soon-to-be-finished road projects along EDSA and those that stretch up to the skyway going south and other major roads to the north. The Light Rail Transit (LRT) System now being constructed along this historic thoroughfare — EDSA — would provide additional relief to the travelling public.

With their completion, one can already imagine the comfort and safety that these road and rail projects would bring to our people — which will certainly result in more productive activities for many of our countrymen and countrywomen.
PROOF OF OUR COMMITMENT
The building and renovation of transport networks throughout our country are solid manifestations of our commitment to provide vital infrastructures to support our various development programs. It is also proof of our resolve to lay a solid foundation for our sustainable growth.

Spurring development efforts through the setting up of effective transport and communications networks and the rehabilitation of the older ones should place us in a more competitive position in the global race for economic sufficiency, and should make our pole-vaulting into the 21st century faster, stronger and higher.

I made a commitment to finish all road projects due for completion before my term ends in June this year, and I will keep that promise.

There still remain p15 billion worth of major infrastructure projects across the country nearing completion, while another p30 billion worth of foreign-assisted ones are on-going with “full steam” ahead.
CONTINUING THE LEGACY
I hope that the next set of national leaders would be able to sustain — if not further improve upon — this important legacy of the Ramos administration on infrastructure development to the Filipino people.

We cannot afford to get stranded on this vital initiative as this will certainly stunt our growth as a nation. The next set of leaders must ensure the continuity of all our development programs to sustain or accelerate the momentum we have achieved during the last few years.

Again, our sincere thanks to the Japanese government for their support, not only to this project, but to all many other projects implemented and being implemented by the Ramos administration.

I also congratulate the men and women of the department of public works and highways (DPWH) for a job well done. Their accomplishments in infrastructure building is unprecedented in our history.

My commendations also go to the contractor, China Road and Bridge Corporation, and to the consultant, Renardet-Pacific-Philipp’s-ISSI.
With this EDSA-Shaw overpass project, we are again showing to the world that we are not only paving the roads to progress, but we are literally building them.

The key is continuity of our momentum. Continuity!

Maraming salamat at mabuhay tayong lahat!