60-km road project to link Pangasinan and Zambales

• Source: http://news.mb.com.ph/2017/05/26/60-km-road-project-to-link-pangasinan-and-zambales/
• Sunday, May 28, 2017

By Betheena Kae Unite with a report from Franco G. Regala

The construction of a new road linking the provinces of Pangasinan and Zambales has started, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said yesterday. At the same time the 5.17 kilometer farm-to-market road (FMR) in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija that links farms to markets in other barangays has finally opened.

The 60-kilometer Pangasinan-Zambales East-West Road Project is seen to yield economic and ecotourism advancement both in the Ilocos and Central Luzon regions.

“A new road which will connect the provinces of Pangasinan and Zambales starting from the municipality of Mangatarem in Pangasinan side to Sta. Cruz in Zambales is now being built,” DPWH Region 1 Director Ronnel Tan said.

Tan said a groundbreaking ceremony was held in Barangay Umangan, Mangatarem, Pangasinan to commence the 30-kilometer Pangasinan segment of the road project.

Tan said the project covers the road improvement of the 13.05 km existing road and opening and paving a new road the span of 17.4 km.

The project has an initial allocation of R100 million in 2017.

The Pangasinan segment will be implemented jointly by the DPWH-I Regional Office and Pangasinan Second District Engineering Office in five phases until 2022, in the amount of R1.1 billion, Tan said.

NEW FMR OPENS

Meanwhile, Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) Regional Project Coordination Office 3 Focal Person and Department of Agriculture (DA) Regional Technical Director Crispulo Bautista said the newly-opened 5.17-km FMR in San Jose City is the first completed infrastructure subproject of PRDP in Central Luzon.

“It will support the implementation of the Sikkap San Jose Ampalaya Enterprise, another PRDP subproject that will be managed by three proponent groups that have merged and formed a cooperative called SIKKAP,” said Bautista.