Japan vows financial aid for 176.6-km Mindanao access roads

The Philippines is expecting additional financing from Japan for the construction and improvement of 176.6-kilometer access roads linking the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and other regions in Mindanao, Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar revealed.

This was discussed during the meeting of the Joint Committee on Infrastructure Development and Economic Cooperation composed of highlevel officials from the Philippines and Japan in Osaka, Japan last month.

According to Villar, implementation of several infrastructure development, peace-building initiatives for Mindanao, and other key concerns significant to the expanding economic bilateral cooperation between the two countries were also discussed.

He furthered that the access road projects in Mindanao will be implemented under the Road Network Development Project in Conflict Affected Areas in Mindanao.

Several road and bridge projects under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) were also discussed at the meeting. These are the New Mactan Bridge Construction Project, Dalton Pass East Alignment Alternative Project, Circumferential Road 3 Missing Link Project, and the Davao City Bypass Construction Project.

Major updates on the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) Metro Manila Subway Project Phase I and the North South Railway Project; BCDA’s New Clark City Project; Department of Energy’s Project for the Improvement of Equipment of Power Distribution in the Bangsamoro Area; Marawi Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Program of Task Force Bangon Marawi among others were discussed during the meeting.

The ¥2-billion grant by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is now being utilized for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the 18.97 kilometer section of the Marawi Transcentral Road under the Reconstruction and Development Plan for Greater Marawi wherein contract packages 1-B and 2 with a total length of 9.56 kilometers has already broken ground last month.