Tourists and locals can now have faster and safer travel experience in Northern Mindanao as the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) recently completed the asphalt overlay of national road network in Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon.
In his report to DPWH Secretary Mark A. Villar and Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain, Unified Project Management Office – Roads Management Cluster 1 (UPMO – RMC 1) Project Director Virgilio Castillo said that road improvement and asphalt overlay were implemented along the 10-kilometer Kibungsod – Sta. Cruz section and 10-kilometer Sta. Cruz – Talisayan Section of the Butuan – Cagayan de Oro – Iligan Road in Misamis Oriental, with total cost of P172 million each; and the 14-kilometer Dalwangan – Patpat – San Jose Section of Sayre Highway in Bukidnon, with a total amount of P182 million.
The maintenance projects involving asphalt overlay and reblocking along Butuan – Cagayan de Oro – Iligan Road and Sayre Highway are part of DPWH’s Annual Work Program jointly funded by the Philippine Government and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Butuan – Cagayan de Oro – Iligan Road is a national primary road connecting Misamis Oriental to other provinces of northern Mindanao while Sayre Highway is a primary highway traversing Misamis Oriental, Bukidnon, and North Cotabato going towards Region XI.
The improvement of infrastructure in Region X would benefit not only the locals in their day-to-day activities but also tourists who want to visit and explore the wonders of both Bukidnon and Misamis Oriental Provinces.
Project Director Castillo added that in a period of three (3) years, a total of 27 asset preservation and preventive maintenance projects from Luzon to Mindanao were completed by DPWH UPMO - RMC 1 under the Annual Work Program. Major accomplishments include the road sections of the Catanduanes Circumferential Road, Surigao – Davao Coastal Road, and Mindoro West Coast Road.