The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is set to roll out more Official Development Assistance (ODA)-funded infrastructure projects.
DPWH Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain of the Unified Project Management Office (DPWH-UPMO) Operations and Technical Services together with the five (5) UPMO Project Directors presented to Secretary Mark A. Villar an update of the many planned, on-going and completed infrastructure projects under the UPMO Clusters during the Project Performance Review meeting also attended by Project Managers and Administrative Officers.
With some projects close to wrapping up, Undersecretary Sadain said that the DPWH-UPMO Operations now have at least five (5) ODA projects that will commence soon as they look forward to have Secretary Villar see these project progresses on the ground much quicker.
Undersecretary Sadain said that the UPMO Operations after having given mandate by Secretary Villar thru Department Order No. 202 in 2016 to undertake the implementation of feasibility studies and masterplans has come up with 39 new project proposals with indicative cost of P2.09 Trillion for possible ODA financing and implementation between 2019-2030.
This in addition to 18 on-going ODA projects with a total project cost of P138.256 Billion.
In line with the strategies of supporting economic growth and development in Western Mindanao, UPMO-Roads Management Cluster 2 (Multilateral) will soon launch the construction of three (3) core road projects included under the P25.257 Billion Asian Development Bank-funded Improving Growth Corridors in Mindanao Road Sector Project.
UPMO-RMC2 Project Director Sharif Madsmo Hasim identified these core road projects as the 17 kilometers Tampilisan-Sandayong Road in Zamboanga Del Norte costing P871 Million; 24 kilometers Alicia-Malangas Road costing P1.27 Billion in Zamboanga Sibugay Province; and 38.70 kilometers Lutiman-Guicam-Olutanga Road costing P969 Million also located in Zamboanga Sibugay.
Also expected to commence is the proposed 3.7 kilometers Panguil Bay Bridge Project that will connect Tangub City, Misamis Occidental and Tubod, Lanao Del Norte in Norther Mindanao.
This P7.35 Billion project which will be financed under loan agreement between the Government of the Philippines and Korean Economic Development Cooperation Fund will cut the 1.5 to 2.5 hours travel from Ozamis/Tangub to Mucas/Tubod to 7 minutes through the proposed bridge.
Under the DPWH “build back better” principle in support with the national government efforts to rebuild Marawi City, Project Director Virgilio Castillo of the Roads Management Cluster I (Bilateral) reported that the DPWH will be launching the construction of new Marawi Transcentral Road Network included in the Reconstruction and Development Plan for Greater Marawi funded under the P950 million Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The Marawi Transcentral Roads bound to start this December composed of the 9.41-kilometer Bacong-Iligan-Marawi Road under Contract Package I-A costing P397.13 million; 3.54-kilometer Bacong-Poona-Marantao-Marawi Road, 580-meter GMA Terminal Access, 1.79-kilometer Marawi-Cadre-New Capitol, 1.54-kilometer Marcos Boulevard, and 840-meter Idarus Road Section under Contract Package I-B costing P264.33 million; and 3.31-kilometer MSU - GMA Road and 800-meter Lumidong - Amai Pakpak Avenue under Contract Package II costing P167.87 million.
In an effort to mitigate flood risk in Cagayan De Oro River Basin particularly at the downstream portion of the River about 12 kilometers from its mouth in Macajalar Bay going upstream to the Pelaez Bridge, Project Director Patrick Gatan of the Flood Control Management Cluster reported that the construction of riverbank protection, dike, floodwall and bridge improvement is set to commence by January 2019 under the P8.549 Billion Flood Risk Management Project for Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental funded by a loan agreement with JICA.
Also set to commence early 2019 is the P164.85 Million design and build for rehabilitation/retrofitting of 161.80 lineal meters Quirino Bridge, Cotabato City to be implemented by the Bridge Management Cluster headed by Project Director Gil Villanueva.
Meanwhile, Project Director Johnson Domingo of UPMO-Buildings & Special Project Management Cluster showcased the conceptual design of the proposed new office building for the Philippine Senate at Fort Bonifacio with the DPWH to provide technical assistance in selecting the design-and-build contractor. The construction progress of on-going building project for the Philippine Statistics Authority in Quezon City was also presented.