Two access roads leading to famed tourist destinations in Occidental Mindoro and Butuan City were recently completed, the Department of Public Works and Highways announced Friday.
An additional 1.97-kilometer access road leading to Luyang Baga Cave in Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro was recently opened to motorists.
It is a P19.46-million road improvement project that was finished ahead of its scheduled completion date in October 2020. It is the phase 2 of a multi-year project implemented by DPWH Occidental Mindoro District Engineering Office (DEO).
“Providing this access road to Occidental Mindoro’s Luyang Baga Cave will promote tourism development in the province by ensuring a safer, better, faster and easier access,” Secretary Mark A. Villar said.
The project’s first phase covering 1.5 kilometers of the access road under a P14.26-million budget was completed in January 2020. A third phase, which will be funded under the proposed 2021 national budget, will also be constructed.
A 1.36-kilometer tourism road leading to the famous Mt. Mayapay in Butuan City, Agusan Del Norte has also been completed.
It is a two-lane road from the junction of Buenavista-Bunaguit Road leading to the foot of Mt. Mayapay.
The road will provide a safer and faster travel to mountaineers who want to view the breathtaking sights of Butuan City.
The first phase of the road improvement project involves concreting of 607.5 meters beginning at NRJ Buenavista-Bunaguit Road. After its completion in January 2020, construction works on the remaining 752.5 meters resumed in February and was completed on July 18.
“Significantly also, local residents who mostly belong to the Higaonon and Manobo tribes living in Mt. Mayapay as their ancestral domain, now have a more convenient access to basic government services and commodities giving them an opportunity for economic development and an improved way of life,” Villar said.
With an allocation of P29.3 million, the road project started in August 2019 under the Tourism Road Infrastructure Program with the Department of Tourism (DOT) to improve access and connectivity to tourism sites.
(photos from DPWH)
