Iloilo breaks ground for P118.6-M road project

• Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1014779
• Friday, November 3, 2017 6:14 pm

By Cindy Ferrer (PNA)

ILOILO CITY – Iloilo’s provincial government on Friday launched a PHP118.6-million project to improve roads in the towns of Mina and Pototan.

The improvement, which is expected to be completed in July next year, covers 8.3 km. of the Mina-Talibong-Yugot-Nabitasan-Naslo Road and involves concreting the road, constructing drainage and slope protection structures, and installing road signs and reflectorized thermoplastic pavement markings.

The provincial government is implementing the program through its Provincial Engineering Office, in partnership with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) under its Conditional Matching Grant to Provinces for Road Repair, Rehabilitation and Improvement (CMGP).

Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Sr., together with DILG provincial director Teodora Sumagaysay, Mina Mayor Rey Grabato, Pototan Mayor Tomas Peñaflorida and provincial administrator Raul Banias led the ground-breaking ceremony at the Mina National High School.

In his speech, Defensor said the improvement of the road will not only make travel easy but will eventually spur development in the municipalities of Mina and Pototan.

He cited the significant help of the DILG and other agencies in the rehabilitation of provincial roads, noting that with more than 600 km. of roads, the provincial government alone could not afford to have them all rehabilitated.

“We express our heartfelt gratitude to the different agencies that are helping us in our quest to improve our provincial roads,” Defensor said.

The governor said that more provincial roads are lined up for rehabilitation next year also under the CMGP and the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) of the Department of Agriculture and World Bank.

Iloilo received a PHP413-million grant from DILG this year for the CMGP for consistently winning the Seal of Good Local Governance and for being compliant with the requirements set by the agency.

The newly launched road project is one of four projects implemented in the province under the CMGP. The other three are being carried out in Calinog (12.4 km.), Batad (2.5 km.) and Carles (5.9 km.).