DPWH spends on road projects leading to tourist spots

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is spending on numerous road projects that will support the country’s tourism industry.

Around P53 billion (or $1.2 billion*) was allocated for the construction or repair of roads leading to famous tourist spots in the country, said DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson.

The agency is coordinating with the Department of Tourism (DOT) in a convergence program to prioritize tourism road infrastructure.

Among the roads in the DPWH-DOT convergence program are the following:

• Ternate-Nasugbu Road in the provinces of Batangas and Cavite
• Access roads to the Puerto Princesa Underground River system in Palawan
• The Ambangeg Junction National Road to Mount Pulag in the Cordilleras
• Access roads to Donsol, Sorsogon
• Island Garden City of Samal Circumferential Road in Davao del Norte

In a separate convergence program with the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), local roads leading to airports and seaports will also be built following national road standards, Singson said.

These are all part of DPWH’s plan to increase investments in infrastructure to keep up with the government’s development agenda.

“We are lagging behind our ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) neighbors, so we need to make investments to sustain growth,” Singson said, adding that the department needs to spend 5% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

DPWH said that besides the road projects, it will also spend on drainage, water supply, and flood control priority projects.

In the 2014 national budget, the DPWH is allocated a total of P206.6 billion (around $4.7 billion), up from P155.5 billion (around $3.6 billion) in 2013. – Rappler.com

* $1 = P43.76