WHAT the Marcos administration lacked in the agriculture sector has been more than made up for by accomplishments in infrastructure development.
While there are questions raised about President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s claims on gains made by the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) about universities and their international rankings, no doubt can be raised on the accomplishments of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) under Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan and Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain.
The department’s massive infrastructure development nationwide under the” Build Better More” Program was cited in the President’s second State of the Nation Address (SONA) last Monday but a more comprehensive report was made by Bonoan at post-SONA discussions the next day at the Hilton Hotel, Newport Boulevard, Pasay City.
From July, 2022 to May, 2023, a total of 4,082 kilometers of roads was constructed, maintained, widened, upgraded and rehabilitated; 497 bridges were constructed, widened, upgraded, rehabilitated and strengthened; 2,103 flood-control projects were completed; 4,038 classrooms were constructed; 216 kilometers of farm-to-market and 8 kilometers farm-to-mill roads were completed; 55 evacuation centers were built; and 6,002 rainwater collectors were installed.
‘It is worthwhile to note that the pace of operations and accomplishments in the next few years of other departments depends on these projects completed and/or being rushed by the DPWH…’
In the same period, DPWH also completed the implementation of 138 km of roads leading to tourism destinations under the Tourism Road Infrastructure Program in convergence with the Department of Tourism; 81 km of roads under the Roads Leveraging Linkages of Industry and Trade Program with the Department of Trade and Industry; and 18 km of roads under the Katuparan Program in collaboration with the Department of Transportation.
Many road projects have been completed, among them the 22.4-km Pangasinan-Nueva Vizcaya Road; 29.7-km Lutiman-Guicam-Olutanga Road, province of Zamboanga Sibugay; 11.6-km Samar Pacific Coastal Road Project phase 1; and the Flood Risk Management Project Contract Package 2 along Cagayan de Oro River.
Among its programs, the department’s Inter-Island Linkage Bridge Program takes precedence because it provides seamless and inclusive connectivity thru the construction of 12 short and long-span bridges with an aggregate length of 90 km.
The government aims to obtain by November 2023 the loan approval for the civil works construction of the 32.15-km Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge. The completion of this mega bridge project will reduce travel time between Bataan and Cavite to less than 45 minutes from 5 hours.
The procurement of consulting services for detailed engineering design for the 32.47-km Panay-Guimaras-Negros Island Bridges Project is ongoing. Travel time from Panay Island to Negros Island will be shortened to an hour from three hours.
The 4.01-km Samal Island-Davao City Connector Bridge broke ground on Oct. 27, 2022 and its construction is ongoing. The project aims to reduce travel time from 55 minutes via RORO to 5 minutes.
The construction of Panguil Bay Bridge is targeted to be completed next year. Once completed, travel time between Tubod municipality in Lanao del Norte and Tangub City in Misamis Occidental will be reduced to just 7 minutes from 2.5 hours using the bridge.
It is worthwhile to note that the pace of operations and accomplishments in the next few years of other departments such as the DepEd, DOT, DTI, Department of National Defense, CHEd and the Department of Agriculture depends on these projects completed and/or being rushed by the DPWH, with Bonoan getting much-needed assistance from Senior Undersecretary Sadain and other key officials.
