Capitol proposes P3.7B road projects for funding

CEBU, Philippines- The Cebu provincial government has proposed at least P3.7 billion worth of road concreting and improvement projects to the national government for funding in 2016.

More than P2.2 billion of the proposed budget will be sourced from the Department of Interior and Local Government while the remaining amount would be funded by the Department of Tourism.

The fund would be used in the provincial roads and those leading to the tourism areas in the province. Once the budget is approved, the second legislative district, the biggest in the province, would get the lion’s share from DILG at over P1 billion covering the provincial roads in the towns of Argao (P207.1 million), Dalaguete (P23.4 million), Alcoy (P19.2 million), Boljoon (P38.7 million), Oslob (P18.4 million), Santander (P93.9 million), Samboan (P128.3 million), Ginatilan (P24.4 million), Malabuyoc (P97.1 million), Alegria (P219.6 million), Moalboal (P66.3 million), Alcantara (95.9 million), Ronda (P7.9 million),  and Dumanjug (P57.3 million).

The first district would also get at least P264.4 million from DILG, third district (P385.5 million), fourth district (P210.3 million), fifth district (P220.2 million), and sixth district (P22 million).

As to the funding from DOT, the fourth district would get the largest chunk at P700.2 million covering Medellin town and the towns in Bantayan Island.

The first, second, third, and fifth districts would have an allocation of P96.7 million, P146 million, P83.8 million, and P473.6 million, respectively.

The proposal was presented last week during the infrastructure committee meeting of the Provincial Development Council.

Provincial Engineer Hector Jamora noted that infrastructure development was identified as one of the top priorities of the provincial government.

He said the proposed projects would still be subject for assessment from the concerned national government agencies, adding that the province is optimistic that these would be approved.

Governor Hilario Davide III, in his Report to the People recently, believes that public infrastructure would spur economic growth in the province.

Apart from these proposed road projects, four farm-to-market roads bankrolled by the World Bank under the Philippine Rural Development Program are set to be implemented by the provincial government.

These are the P57.5-million road links in Bogo City, P84-million roads in San Remegio, and the P69-million road in Daanbantayan.  (FREEMAN)