The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said it is expediting several road projects in support of the national government's rebuilding initiative for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
(photo: DPWH)
DWPH Senior Undersecretary Emil Sadain said the projects are funded by the Japanese government through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) which were initiated in support of the Road Network Development Project in Conflict Affected Areas in Mindanao (RNDP-CAAM).
Sadain said the JICA-funded RNDP-CAAM components in Bangsamoro are now halfway complete.
They include the Parang Balabagan Road with a total length of 36.69 kilometers, the Marawi City Ring Road with 19.6 kilometers in length, the Parang East Diversion Road with a total of 7.07 kilometers, and the Manuangan Parang Road with 17.42 kilometers length.
The Parang-Balabagan road will traverse across the municipalities of Parang and Matanog, Maguindanao and Balabagan and Kapatagan in Lanao del Sur, starting from the National Highway (AH26) in the northern section of Parang and heading towards the coastline side, the project route connects to the AH26 in Balabagan, providing access to Malabang.
Also, the Marawi City Ring road will traverse the municipalities of Marantao, Piagapo, and Saguiaran, however, it will cross a road right-of-way issue for parcels of land recently awarded to Agrarian Reform beneficiaries of Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA).
Meanwhile, the Parang East Diversion road will offer a trunk route in the town's eastern portion, traveling through four barangays: Nituan, Gumagadong Calawag, Making, and Manion. By creating a bypass road at the congested section of the national highway, the construction of the diversion road will relieve traffic on the AH26: Narciso Ramos Highway and the primary Cotabato-Pagadian Road. Furthermore, it will strengthen the connection between the primary Polloc Port and the planned agri-industry in Buldon, Barira, and Matanog, which is expected to generate a high volume of vehicular traffic.
(photo: DPWH)
The Manuangan-Parang Road is intended to serve as an alternate route to the existing Pigcawayan-Sultan Kudarat-Sultan Mastura-Parang National Highway (AH26). It provides access to the productive agricultural areas of the municipalities of Sultan Kudarat, Sultan Mastura, and Parang in the province of Maguindanao, as well as the inner barangays of Pigcawayan in North Cotabato.
The two other RNDP-CAAM sub-projects, with a total of 79.9 kilometers, including 21 bridges, have detailed engineering design completed under the JICA Grant and are pending approval from the DPWH Bureau of Design.
These include the 13.9-kilometer Matanog-Barira-Alamada-Libungan Road and the 66-kilometer Tapian-Lebak Coastal Road, the funding for which would be included in the 2025 Philippine National Expenditure Program and, thereafter, the General Appropriations Act. (Trixee Rosel)