THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has ordered the hastening of the completion of several infrastructure projects in Mindanao.
In separate statements, the DPWH said one project is the Tampilisan-Sandayong Road, a new direct link between the cities of Dipologo and Pagadian while by-passing the Zamboanga Peninsula via Ipil.
Likewise, the DPWH cited the formal holding of first Multi-Partite Monitoring Team-Sectoral Committee Meeting for the Panguil Bay Bridge Project, which seeks to ensure the proper coordination, successful integration, and effective implementation of the mega bridge project connecting Tubod, Lanao Del Norte and Tangub City, Misamis Occidental.
Currently, the government is upgrading the Tampilisan-Sandayong Road to enhance agricultural, trade and commercial activities and accompanying sustainable value generation in Zamboanga del Norte.
It involves the upgrading and concreting of 17.58 kilometers of road with paved shoulder. It also covers the replacement/construction of three bridges including slope protection works, and provision of reinforced concrete box culvert and pipe culvert.
Public Works Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain was quoted in the statement as saying that the improvement of the Tampilisan-Sandayong Road is one the legacy project of the Duterte administration.
The Tampilisan-Sandayong Road is part of the Improving Growth Corridors in Mindanao Road Sector Project (IGCMRSP), a program financed by an Asian Development Bank (ADB) loan.
Panguil Bay bridge
Organized by the DPWH Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Roads Management Cluster 2 (Multilateral), the DPWH said the meeting held last February 17 formed the group that would oversee the Panguil Bay bridge project.
According to Sadain, the group will serve as an ad-hoc body that “will institutionalize participatory and transparent monitoring on report of project progress during project construction stage to ensure its quality and timely completion by December 2023.”
“It was agreed during the meeting that the group will be formally organized to serve as an infrastructure monitoring and advisory body that will conduct regular forums to guarantee stakeholders’ greater involvement, support and cooperation,” the statement from the DPWH read.
The agency said that civil works contract for the bridge was awarded in February 2020, a month before the country was placed under series of stay-at-home orders and cordon sanitaire measures due to Covid-19 pandemic.
“Despite challenges because of the public health emergency, the DPWH and its contractor Namkwang-Kukdong-Gumgwang Joint Venture stepped up the construction of bored piles foundation with about 44 out of the total 54 already completed to date,” the statement read.
Funded by a loan agreement between the Government of the Philippine and Korean Export Import Bank, Panguil Bay Bridge is expected to uplift the economy and encourage growth of tourism in Lanao del Norte and Misamis Occidental.
The bridge will reduce travel time through Roll-On Roll-Off (RORO) vessels from Ozamiz City/Tangub City to Mukas Port/Tubod of 2.5 hours including the long queing of vehicles on port to just 7 minutes.