THE office of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Davao Region has requested for a budget of around P7.39 billion for infrastructure projects to be undertaken in the region for the fiscal year of 2014, an official said.
DPWH regional information officer Jose Dennis Y. Flores, in an interview with Sun.Star Davao, said proposed projects that will be prioritized include upgrading of national roads from gravel to paved roads and for the maintenance and repair of existing infrastructures, like roads and bridges.
"The budget has already been submitted to the central office and awaiting for its final approval. There might still be adjustments needed before we receive it, sometimes what we propose will not be what we requested," he said.
To break it down, Compostela Valley is allotted around P1.1 billion, to be divided between the two legislative districts. The first district will be allotted P596.57 million while the second district, will be allotted P514.44 million. Priority projects in the region will include road widening, bridge construction, paving of roads, and rehabilitation of infrastructure.
Davao City will receive some P1.8 billion which will be divided among the three districts. The first district will be allotted P372.47 million, second district with P471.22 million, and the third with P1.01 billion.
Infrastructure projects included for the city are construction and rehabilitation of drainage system, widening of roads, construction of three additional bridges for the third district, and tourism infrastructure.
Davao del Norte will receive P1.505 billion to be divided by two legislative districts. The first district will be receiving P719.46 million while the second will get P786.85 million. The money will go into the preventive maintenance of infrastructures, widening and upgrading of roads, and tourism infrastructure.
Around P1.5 billion has been programmed for Davao del Sur which will be divided by two legislative districts. Some P451.101 million will go the first while the second will receive P1.16 billion. A bulk of the budget of the province will be allotted for the Cogon-Kapatagan-Mainit road leading to Mt. Apo National Park which has a project cost of around P202 million.
For Davao Oriental, they have programmed around P737 million for the two legislative districts. The first will receive P300.25 million while the second with P437.55 million. The funds will go to the construction and rehabilitation of bridges, paving and widening of national roads, and tourism infrastructure.
"Most of the projects for 2014 have already been bid out as of December 2013 especially the small projects," Flores said, adding that most of the big projects are set to be approved by the central and regional offices.
For 2013, DPWH-Davao received some P7.2 billion which funded some 1,320 projects.