THE top 10 key developmental infrastructure projects for Davao Region amount to at least P94 billion, as per data by the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Davao Region.
These 10 key developmental projects in Mindanao is a bid to translate into action the Philippine Regional Development Plan (PRDP).
Last Tuesday, March 20, Neda Davao Region launched the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Knowledge Center. On the sidelines of this event, Neda Davao Regional Director Maria Lourdes Lim, presented the top 10 key projects for Davao Region.
The first one is the Davao City Bypass Construction Project of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) amounting to P16.81 billion.
“The objective of the project is to improve accessibility to main infrastructure facilities and reduce congestion in Davao City by constructing a bypass road and improve existing access roads,” Lim said.
The Davao Sasa Port Modernization Project of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) is estimated to cost around P6 billion and is targeted to be up for bidding once again on the second quarter of 2018.
The Neda official said the development of the port will include transformation of the port into a modern, international-standard container terminal that will improve trade access to Mindanao and the Philippines.
Lim also said the modernization will have gantry cranes and extended berthing spaces seaward among others. This improvement, she said, will provide convenience and efficient services both for domestic and international shipping transactions.
The Davao City Coastal Bypass Road Project, still by DPWH, will cost around P25.043 billion and is divided into three segments of four-lane road concretion. The first segment, which covers about 7.26 kilometers was already started by DPWH in 2017 and is currently ongoing.
She said the Davao Public Transport Modernization Project would include the development of improved public transport operations and will cover the full urban area. She said it will cater to the growth in travel demand at the city’s expanding edges. This project will cost about P7.5 billion.
“The project will put in place a city-wide bus-based public transport system, with improved and modern franchising mechanisms,” Lim said in her presentation.
The proposed budget for the conduct of feasibility study for the Davao-Samal Bridge Construction Project by the DPWH was at P90 million. Lim said the conduct of the FS will examine the viability of Davao-Samal Bridge on financial, economic, environmental, and technical points of view.
Other projects included in the top key infrastructure projects in Mindanao are the Mindanao Railway Project with the first phase of Tagum-Davao-Digos section cost around P35.9 billion, the Southern Philippines Medical Center Medical Arts Building and Diagnostic Center which cost P200 million, and the Davao Regional Medical Center four-story new admin building with parking facilities at P250 million.
The Comprehensive Flood Master Plan for Davao del Norte is now on the project proposal stages at the DPWH Central Office and will be funded by the Asian Development Bank.
The Davao Food Exchange Complex in a 25-hectare land area in Toril, Davao City is owned by the National Development Company and is targeted to cost P496 million.
Under the Mindanao Logistics Infrastructure Network are eight sub-projects which are the (1) Rehabilitation of Kapalong-Talaingod-Valencia Road, (2) Completion of the missing link in the Datu Paglas-Columbio-Matanao-Padada Road and upgrade of the rest of the road, (3) Rehabilitation of the mountainous sections of Davao-Bukidnon Road, (4) Construction of a new road crossing the mountains from Davao Oriental to Compostela Valley, (5) Upgrade of the Davao del Sur-Sarangani Coastal Road (Malalag-Malita-JAS-Glan), (6) Construction of the Davao City Diversion Road, (7) Davao-Bukidnon Road Widening Project, (8) and the Daang Maharlika (Agusan-Davao Road) Widening Project.
Some of these projects have yet to have final amount of budget to be used and are still up for finalization. (JPA)