DPWH starts P6.9-B infra-projects in ARMM

• Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1021125
• Saturday, January 13, 2018

By Noel Punzalan (PNA)

COTABATO CITY – Additional road projects, amounting to PhP6.889-billion, will be constructed across the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) for 2018.

The new road projects comprise 68 percent of the ARMM’s total infrastructure budget at PhP10.103-B for the current year, data provided by region’s Department of Public Wokrs and Highways (DPWH) indicated.

The DPWH-ARMM’s 2018 infrastructure budget would wcover a total of 472 projects, including 40 seaports, 86 water supply systems, 39 bridges, 17 flood control structures, 20 drainage systems, and 32 other constructions.

“A total of 238 road projects with an overall length of 361.65 kilometers would be funded this year,” Don Mustapha Loong, DPWH-ARMM secretary, said.

DPWH-ARMM earlier projected it would pave a total of 1,922.982 kilometers of roads across the region from 2012 to 2017.

As of December last year, it has completed 1,334 kilometers, while a total of 420.356 kilometers of road concreting projects are still going on.

“With more infrastructure projects, people in the region will have better access to tourism sites, will help boost the region’s economy and uplift people’s lives as transport of goods and products will be cheaper,” Loong said.

ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman said infrastructure development is one of the regional government’s top priorities as it equates greater impact in improving the lives of the people in the region.

Earlier this month, the governor led the turnover of a Level II water supply system, or communal faucet units, which was turned over to the local government unit of Panglima Estino in Sulu.

The water system now supplies the town with safe and potable water. In the past, Panglima Estino sourced its supply of drinking water from deep wells and water pumps, which put the lives of residents at risk from water-borne diseases.

The DPWH-ARMM is currently embarking on the E-ARMM system aimed at establishing a database containing information on road projects including connectivity conditions and other public infrastructure projects within the region.

The system creates a network involving the regional office and eight district engineering offices that will serve as data repository line-agencies.

“With the E-ARMM system, identification of right projects will be made easy as the public also can easily check paved and unpaved roads in the region,” Loong said.

The DPWH-ARMM now boasts of having evolved from an office previously identified with corruption to a model agency for transparency and efficiency in the region.