The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) successfully held the 7th Intergovernmental Infrastructure Development Board (IIDB) Meeting on July 17, 2024.
DPWH Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain highlighted the importance of the meeting, emphasizing the commitment of both the National and Bangsamoro governments to collaborate on significant infrastructure projects.
The meeting reinforces the strong partnership between the national and Bangsamoro governments, demonstrating their shared commitment to advancing infrastructure and improving the lives of the people in the Bangsamoro region.
Senior Undersecretary Sadain, serving as the alternate representative of Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan to the Intergovernmental Relations Body (IGRB), stressed the role of the IGRB in resolving issues between the two (2) governments through regular consultation and continuing negotiation, as mandated by the Bangsamoro Organic Law of 2019.
The DPWH represents the national government as a co-chair in the IIDB, one of the key mechanisms designed to strengthen intergovernmental relations. The IIDB is responsible for coordinating and synchronizing national and Bangsamoro infrastructure development plans.
BARMM Ministry of Public Works (MPW) Officer-in-Charge and IIDB Co-Chair Danilo A. Ong, DPWH Unified Project Management Office - Roads Management Cluster I (Bilateral) Project Director Benjamin A. Bautista, and representatives from various agencies participated in the comprehensive agenda of the IIDB meeting. Discussions focused on key infrastructure projects and regional development initiatives.
The IIDB meeting underscored the collaborative efforts between the national government and the BARMM in advancing crucial infrastructure projects. This partnership is vital for addressing regional connectivity, flood management, and infrastructure maintenance, fostering sustainable growth and progress in the Bangsamoro region.
The DPWH is advocating for the establishment of a DPWH regional office and district engineering offices for the BARMM. This proposal has been referred to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) with the Budget Information Legislative Service.
Discussions between the DPWH, DBM, and the Office of the President recommended that the creation of the office be pursued through legislative action.
During the meeting, DPWH Regional Offices 9, 10, and 12, along with the Planning Service, provided updates on the Roads and Bridge Inventory Administration, Roads and Bridge Maintenance, and other priority flagship projects under Official Development Assistance (ODA) in the BARMM, implemented by UPMO Operations.
ODA-funded projects to promote economic development and improve the quality of life for the residents of BARMM include the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the Marawi Transcentral Road. This effort encompasses three (3) packages totaling 18 kilometers, along with the Project Management Contract for the Detailed Engineering Design of Contract Package 3, which includes the 19.27-kilometer Phase 3 Transcentral Roads. These projects are part of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-financed Programme for the Support to Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of Marawi City and Surrounding Areas.
Several ongoing projects are aimed at fostering development in conflict-affected areas in Mindanao. These include the Road Network Development Project in Conflict-Affected Areas in Mindanao under JICA, the Emergency Assistance for the Reconstruction and Recovery of Marawi under the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the construction of three bridges in Tawi-Tawi Province under the Improving Growth Corridors in Mindanao Road Sector Project (IGCMRSP) of ADB.
Additionally, the DPWH-UPMO Operations has several pipeline projects currently undergoing detailed engineering design under ADB funding. These include the Integrated Flood Resilience and Adaptation Project covering Ranao (Agus) River Basin and three contract packages comprising a 172-kilometer road network in the Province of Sulu.
A significant project aimed at mitigating flooding in Cotabato City and the municipalities of Sultan Kudarat and Sultan Mastura in Maguindanao addresses the overflow of Ambal-Simuay River and Rio Grande de Mindanao. This project has completed its feasibility study and is awaiting the approval of the loan application to proceed with the design and build phase.