NIGHT OWL
Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo
The Duterte Administration will spend around P8.4 trillion (around US$160-200 billion) in infrastructure projects to usher in a golden age of infrastructure in the Philippines. Government spending on public infrastructure will be increased from 5.3 percent of GDP in 2017 to around 7.4 percent of GDP by 2022. Its infrastructure plan, which is consistent with the Master Plan on Asean Connectivity, will help facilitate connectivity of capital, goods, and people nationwide, in every region in the country. For the first time, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao are on an equal footing as far as the budget is concerned.
In the next five years, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will implement a total of 11 big-ticket infrastructure projects under the $380-million loan agreement on Improving Growth Corridors in Mindanao Road Sector Project, which was signed last January 10 by Department of Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez and Asian Development Bank President Takehiko Nakao.
DPWH Secretary Mark A. Villar said the project, which costs P25.257 billion, will cover the construction of eight roads in Zamboanga Peninsula with a total length of 277.23 kilometers and three bridges in the province of Tawi-Tawi with total length of 775 meters.
Three core projects will start this 2018: (1) The 23.69-kilometer Alicia-Malangas Road, (2) the 17.1-kilometer Tampilisan-Sandayong Road, and (3) the 37.49-kilometer Lutiman-Guicam-Olutanga Road with 440 meter Guicam Bridge.
The detailed engineering designs of five more projects are also in the advanced stages, namely the 55.25-kilometer R.T. Lim-Siocon Road; 40-kilometer Lanao-Pagadian-Ipil-Zamboanga Road and Curuan-Sibuco Road; 34.5-kilometer Siay-Gapol Road; and the 27.76-kilometer Gutalac-Baliguian Alternative Road.
Three bridges in Tawi-Tawi are also included – Malassa-Lupa Pula; Tongsinah-Paniongan; and Nalil-Sikkiat.
The project is expected to provide Mindanao development the much needed support by increasing the capacity of Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) road network.
Apart from this, the DPWH, together with the Japan International Cooperation Agency, is also developing the Bangasmoro Road Network Development Project, a masterplan involving the improvement and construction of a 200-km road network covering 11 access roads and bridges connecting ARMM and other regions in Mindanao.
The 10-B project, which is expected to be completed by 2022, includes 11 critical alignment:
- Matanog-Barira-Alamada-Libungan Rd.
- Parang-Balabagan Road.
- Sibutu-Blensong-Nuro Road.
- Nuro-Pinansaran Road.
- Maganoy-Lebak Road.
- Tapian-Lebak Coastal Road.
- Marawi City Ring Road.
- Parang East Diversion Road.
- Manuangan-Parang Road.
- Tunggol 2 Bridge (On Davao-Cotabato Rd.).
- Pagalungan Bridge (On Davao-Cotabato Rd.).
Aside from this, the detailed engineering design of the Davao City Bypass, a 44.6-km by-pass road with a 2.28 km tunnel, which is expected to reduce travel time from Digos to Panabo by about 50% — from 1 hour and 44 minutes (via Pan-Philippine Highway) to only 49 minutes via (Davao By-Pass Road), is already in its advanced stages.