MINDANAO IS PRIORITY FOR INFRA SUPPORT

Mindanao will remain at the “front and center” of the Duterte administration’s “Build, Build, Build” program as the Department of Finance (DOF) has managed to secure highly concessional funding support for infrastructure and peace-building projects in the South despite the pandemic-induced crisis, Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said .

Among these projects for which the DOF has recently sealed loan agreements and grants are the second phase of the Davao City Bypass Construction Project and programs to assist the government in its ongoing peace-building and development efforts in Mindanao, including the ongoing confidence-building initiatives in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and the recovery and rehabilitation efforts for Marawi City.

“Together with the hundreds of road, railway, port and irrigation projects all over Mindanao, these investments will support job creation, strengthen inclusive and sustainable growth, and promote lasting peace in the region,” Dominguez said in his videotaped message to the 29th Mindanao Business Conference and Sulong Pilipinas-Mindanao session held online via Zoom.

The PCCI led by Ambassador Benedicto Yujuico organized both these virtual events in partnership with the DOF.

“These projects also demonstrate the Duterte administration’s commitment to move Mindanao from the margins, and transform it into the center of agriculture and industry,” Dominguez added.

Last June 16, the Philippines and Japan signed the loan agreement for the supplemental financing of P18.5 billion (JPY35 billion) for the Davao City Bypass Construction Project.

Dominguez, who had signed the accord on behalf of the Philippine government, said this bypass project is expected to be operational by 2023.

The project involves the construction of a 45.5 kilometer four-lane bypass road from Barangay Sirawan in Toril, Davao City to Barangay J.P. Laurel in Panabo City.

The usual travel time between these two points of 1 hour and 44 minutes via the Maharlika Highway is expected to be reduced to 49 minutes once the bypass road is opened to motorists.

Aside from the bypass road, the project also includes a 2.3-kilometer mountain tunnel that directly connects Barangay Matina Biao and Barangay Waan in Davao City, reducing travel time between the said points to less than 5 minutes from the usual 44 minutes when passing through local roads.

Advanced Japanese know-how and technology will be adopted for the construction of the bypass road and tunnel, Dominguez said.

The DOF had also signed the financing agreements for grants amounting to a combined

$97 million extended by the European Union (EU) for the government’s development and peace-building programs in Mindanao.

These grants are for the Mindanao Peace and Development Program-Rise Mindanao (MINPAD-Rise Mindanao) and Support to Bangsamoro Transition Program (SUBATRA).

“The projects focus on strengthening the institutions of the newly formed Bangsamoro autonomous government, creating jobs and improving community-based infrastructure in the region’s agricultural communities,” Dominguez said.

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