Nearly P7-B budget eyed for roads to industries

TACLOBAN CITY, Sept. 15 -- Eastern Visayas region is eyeing a PHP6.89 billion budget in the next two years to finance road projects leading to various industries and economic zones.

For 2018, the central government has approved PHP558.97 million for 10 projects dubbed as “Roads Leveraging Linkages for Industry and Trade” (ROLL IT) Program, a convergence between the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Submitted for 2019 funding are 42 roads with a total budget requirement of PHP6.33 billion.

“The priorities are the roads leading to areas with processing activities or major sources of raw materials. This is the basic concept of the project,” said DTI Eastern Visayas Regional Director Cynthia Nierras in an interview Friday.

In Naval, Biliran, up for implementation next year are upgrading of Caraycaray-Cabungaan Libton Road, NRJ Agpangi connecting to Pongo subvillage Road, NRJ villa Consuelo connecting to Libtong Road, Villa Caneja connecting to Kahukaw subvillage Road, and Villa Caneja-Anislagan Road.

Other projects include improvement of access road from national highway to Iberan village in Salcedo, Eastern Samar; Divisoria-Langit-San Antonio Farm-San Diego-Sto. Niño Road in Alangalang, Leyte; Minuhang-Balud and Balud-Duka Road in Barugo, Leyte; Ichon-Sindangan-Guinabonan-Maningning Road in Macrohon and Malitbog, Southern Leyte; and Road from Patong-Tuburan-Ilaya-Nava-San Juan in Southern Leyte.

The DTI and DPWH have yet to release the list for 2019 projects.

The initiative is patterned after the Department of Tourism - DPWH Convergence Program or the Tourism Road Infrastructure Program that resulted to the upgrading of roads leading to tourist destinations.

In a statement, DPWH Regional Director Edgar Tabacon said it is also timely as a fulfillment to the promise of golden age of infrastructure for the Philippines by the Duterte Administration.

“This would create the opportunity to utilize the projected substantial increase in the budget for infrastructure into the development of complementary networks of regional and local roads that will connect to, and optimize the use of, the improved national roads system,” Tabacon said.

Priority industries and activities are those with high potentials to globally competitive, innovative and resilient and those that can generate jobs and create spill-over effects to other industries and economic activities. (SQM/PNA)