CEBU, Philippines - The national government is already spending for the concreting project of a provincial road from Curva, Medellin to Poblacion, Daanbantayan pending its conversion into a national road.
Cebu fourth district Representative Benhur Salimbangon earlier filed House Bill No. 2301 seeking for the conversion of the said provincial road but the bill remains pending before the Committee on Public Works and Highways. Once converted, the Secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways shall include in its program the improvement, repair, and maintenance of the said roads. The funding of which shall be included in the Annual General Appropriations Act.
Pending the conversion, Salimbangon said the concreting project which costs P145 million was funded under the convergence program of the Department of Tourism.
The DPWH and the DOT have embarked on a convergence program where they would work together in prioritizing tourism road infrastructure by virtue of a memorandum of agreement signed on January 19, 2012.
The agencies agreed to identify, evaluate, prioritize, and implement the tourism road infrastructure in priority tourism clusters, development areas in the country in support of the goals and targets of the National Tourism Development Plan and the Philippine Development Plan for 2011 to 2016.
The Curva, Medellin-Daanbantayan road is the main road leading to the ongoing construction of a roll-on/roll-off port in Barangay Maya in the northern tip of the Province of Cebu. It is also serves as access going to Malapascua Island. (FREEMAN)