DPWH, JICA starts working on Central Mindanao highway construction
Officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and representatives of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have stated working on the loan agreement for the construction of a 65-kilometer road project in Mindanao.
DPWH Senior Undersecretary Emil Sadain said the loan agreement will fund the Cagayan De Oro – Malaybalay Section of the Central Mindanao High-Standard Highway (HSH) Project, which he said, is a high-impact project that will serve as an important link to connect agricultural products from the large plantations to the local markets and to the gateway ports in Cagayan de Oro City.
Sadain said an onsite assessment aimed at getting information on the relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability of the project was already done and was amonfg those discussed during the meeting with JICA officials led by JICA Headquarters Southeast Asia Division 5 Senior Deputy Director Nishii Yosuke and JICA Philippines Office Senior Representative Fukui Keisuke.
Central Mindanao HSH Construction Project is one of the priority projects as mutually agreed during the 14th Philippines-Japan High-Level Joint Committee Meeting on Infrastructure Development and Economic Cooperation held on Aug. 28 this year in Tokyo, Japan.
Considered an important corridor in Mindanao, the Central Mindanao HSH Project with a total length of 300 kilometers is just one of several projects identified in the Master Plan for High Standard Highway Project - Phase 2 which were jointly conducted by DPWH and JICA in 2021.
Of the total 65 kilometer Central Mindanao HSH, the civil works for Section 1 which is 11 kilometers long will be funded by JICA while civil works for Sections 2-5 which is 54 kilometers in length will be funded by ADB.
Sadain said the Central Mindanao HSH Project between the section of Cagayan De Oro City, Misamis Oriental to Malaybalay City, Bukidnon will improve the transport efficiency for the 28 traverse barangays of four municipalities and two cities and contribute to enhance connectivity of Northern Mindanao as well as economic development of the surrounding area.
Accessible through Butuan-Cagayan de Oro- Iligan Road from the north and Sayre Highway from the south, the project alignment will have a 60-meter road right of way with five interchanges constructed near urban centers. (Trixee Rosel)