Joe de Venecia, 'Architect of modern Dagupan City'
Posted on March 25, 2007 - Filed Under Advertisement |
De VeneciaMEMORIES might be too short for a few of us. But had it not been for then Congressman Jose De Venecia Jr., life would STILL be a little miserable for all of us in Dagupan City.
Think about it.
When Dagupan was buried by mountains of rubble left by the July 16, 1990 earthquake, there was little hope that the city can get back to its feet. There was widespread panic caused by fears that the city will sink to the bottom of the sea.
But the durable Dagupeños, buoyed up by their faith that help will be coming, dug in and hoped for the best.
It did come. Congress responded quickly by passing on August 7, 1990 Republic Act 6960 authored by Fourth District Congressman Jose de Venecia Jr. that appropriated P10 billion for the massive aid and rehabilitation of all areas in Luzon affected by the killer earthquake and its aftershocks.
Uncertain on where the government would get this big amount of money to rebuild the area devastated by the quake, President Corazon C. Aquino sent Congressman De Venecia and other lawmakers on a mission abroad to look for funds from foreign donors to bankroll a giant effort to bring the devastated areas back to their feet.
Dagupan City, one of the most devastated areas in Luzon, initially received a total of P1.1 billion as its share from RA 6960. This big amount of money was used to build entirely new roads, new Magsaysay Bridge, new public market, new water system, new hospital, new and more modern communication system, new school buildings and new life for all Dagupeños.
Had it not been for the inventive mind of Congressman De Venecia during those darkest hours in the history of the city, can Dagupan be able to rise quickly as fast as it did?
Think again.
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