The Provincial Development Council, chaired by Gov. Roel Degamo, approved yesterday P18.385 billion worth of proposed infrastructure projects, during its session held at the Convention Center in Dumaguete City.
The projects were endorsed by local and national government agencies for approval by the PDC and endorsement to the Regional Development Council in Region 7, for implementation in 2016.
In Negros Oriental, the infrastructure projects include road construction, improvement, upgrading, and rehabilitation of national arterial and secondary roads, amounting to P18,385,006,000, in the three engineering districts of the Department of Public Works and Highways.
About P2.221 billion worth of projects were proposed by the 1st Engineering District and P3.459 billion from the 3rd Engineering District.
The 2nd Engineering District submitted projects worth P12,705,875,000. These include the road upgrading, rehabilitation, and reconstruction of damaged paved national road, covering 2.523 kilometers, from Bais City in Negros Oriental to Kabankalan City in Negros Occidental, amounting to P65,673,000; the Bayawan-Mabinay road, worth P72,203,000, and with total length of 2.477 kilometers; the Mabinay-Ayungon road, amounting to P5,343,000; and the Sta. Catalina-Pamplona-Tanjay road, worth P44,931,000, and covering 1.443 kilometers.
DPWH also submitted for approval the construction, rehabilitation of drainage, and protection of drainage system along the national road, worth P55 million, and network development, such as the construction of by-pass diversion roads, among others, P75 million.
In Dumaguete, the DPWH proposed P125 million for various river control projects in the Banica River, with P20 million for the Bagacay section, P25 million – Junob section, and P20 million each for the Balugo, Candau-ay and Batinguel sections.
Flood control projects, worth P1.2 billion, were also approved by the PDC, and P800 million is intended for the Ocoy River control project, P200 million – Novallas river control in Tanjay City, and P100 million each for the Nagsala and Novallas river control projects, and other river control projects in the second district.
PDC also approved around P300 million for the construction and improvement of the access roads leading to declared tourist destinations in Dumaguete and Valencia.
Degamo said he is hopeful that with the endorsement of the PDC to RDC 7, funding for the projects will be realized and implemented in 2016.
He also hopes for funding support from the national government to develop the roads crisscrossing the mountains, from Tamlang Valley, Siaton to Valencia, and Sibulan up to Pamplona, he said.
The PDC executive committee is composed of League of Municipalities Negros Oriental chapter president Bentham dela Cruz of Amlan, Liga ng mga Barangay Federation president, Board Member Arnie Teves, representatives from the Provincial Planning and Development Office, Arturo Umbac of the Young Men’s Christian Association, representing the civil society groups and the private sector in the province, and BM Mariant Escano Villegas, chair of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Committee on Finance.*JG