GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- The provincial government of South Cotabato is pushing for the inclusion of 10 more road projects worth P1.014 billion into the national government’s Conditional Matching Grant to Provinces (CMGP) program for next year.
Vicente Ayongao, officer-in-charge of the Provincial Engineer’s Office, said Wednesday they have submitted the proposed projects to concerned national government agencies for consideration in the program’s 2018 cycle.
He said the 10 road projects are included in the province’s priorities under its annual infrastructure program.
“These are for road repair, rehabilitation and other improvements,” Ayongao said in a statement.
The proposed projects are the Tampakan-Tablu (boundary) road project in Tampakan town worth P258.117 million; junction national highway-Cebuano-Kipalbig (boundary) road project in Tampakan worth P69 million; Tampakan-Sta. Cruz-Topland (boundary) road project in Tampakan town and Koronadal City worth P41.4 million; junction national highway-Palian-Cannery-junction Upper Klinan road project in Tupi and Polomolok worth P140.41 million;
Junction national highway-Sulit-Bentung-Crossing Aflek road project in Polomolok and T’boli worth P32.92 million; junction national highway-Poblacion Tantangan-Tacub-Tinago (boundary) road project in Tantangan worth P138 million; junction national highway-New Iloilo-Cabuling-New Lambunao (boundary) road project in Tantangan worth P83.214 million; junction provincial road-Gen. Paulino Santos-Caloocan (boundary) road project in Koronadal City worth P21.85 million; Centrala-Naci-Lambontong road project in Surallah worth P111.55 million; and, Centrala-Buenvista-Canahay road project in Surallah worth P18.45 million.
The CMGP is the successor of the Konkreto at Ayos na Lansangan ang Daan Tungo sa Pangkalahatang Kaunlaran or the KALSADA program, which was launched by the national government in 2016 following the completion of the Australian Aid's Provincial Road Management Facility that covered 10 selected provinces in the Visayas and Mindanao.
The program aims to partly address the poor state of provincial roads across the country and to improve the competency of provinces in local road management and in incorporating reforms in public financial management.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Department of Budget and Management has approved eight roads projects in the province worth P366,926,330 under the 2017 cycle of the CMGP.
Ayongao said the bidding process for these projects is currently ongoing as reported by the provincial bids and awards division.
He said these projects are targeted for full implementation before yearend.(PNA)
