07 Mar Mindanao Development Authority Considering A Better Mindanao Road Network
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The Department of Public Works and Highways or DPWH office in Manila will be using the five development corridors as criteria for project identification that will tactically bridge the key areas of production in Mindanao to industrial centers, this is where seaports and airports can be located, as told by the Mindanao Development Authority or MinDA.
These mentioned five corridors are the industrial trade, mariculture and trade, biodiversity and eco-tourism, food basket and food, agribusiness and logistics. These are the strategies aimeds at making Mindanao to become a self-reliant and internally dependable.
Maria Vilma Belches, Development Management Ofiice 4 and OIC for Planning and Research Decision, said that aere are 13 road projects that are under pre-feasibility studies submitted to the Asian Development Bank-assisted Improving National Roads for Inclusive Growth in Mindanao orINRIGM project. This covers some 500 kms in Region 9 or the Zamboanga region which comprised of Zamboang del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay and the cities of Zamboanga and Isabela. She added that the major outputs of this project will include updating the road network master plan of Mindanao, preparing the feasibility study as well as the project design which will cover engineering, social impact, economic and safeguards activities for a project to be suitable for ADB financing.
“As far as MinDA is concerned, we are working hard on the mechanism to make planning and programming for public works projects rational, integrated, and inclusive, hence the joint programming with agencies. This is more than just making sure Mindanao projects are funded, and that national agencies concur on clear and strategic criteria for planning and programming in coordination with MinDA and the Mindanao stakeholders who push for strong business case that can withstand and transcend politics,” Romeo Montenegro, Director of MinDA Investment Promotions and Public Affairs said.
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According to reports, “for the road network master plan, the consultants will consolidate plans and projects of responsible government agencies and update them for recent economic developments to update the overall roadmap for Mindanao’s road network, including the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.”
Regarding this, officials of DPWH-Autonomous region in Muslim Mindanao or ARMM and officials from the agency’s central office met in Manila where they discussed how the two agencies will work together in improving the roads last February 29, 2016.
Reports said that the technical assistance will require a cost of $1.4 million.
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