LAOAG CITY -- A total of PHP417 million worth of rehabilitation and construction of access roads from manufacturing sites to marketing areas in the province has been approved for endorsement through members of the Provincial Development Council (PDC).
Presided by Ilocos Norte Vice Governor Eugenio Angelo Marcos Barba, the PDC executive meeting was held at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Session Hall, endorsing the proposed convergence projects under the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Public Works and Highway to promote economic growth and infrastructure development.
Dubbed as the Roads Leveraging Linkages for Industry and Trade or ROLL IT program, this convergence initiative aims to further the growth of investments and other economic activities in the country through more road projects leading to manufacturing and economic zones.
In Ilocos Norte, the projects include the concreting of Sabang road connecting the salt-making industry area and national highway in Barangays Saoit and Pagali in Burgos, Ilocos Norte, concreting of the Ampan NCC road connecting miniature items souvenir making industry in Barangay Nagsurot, also in Burgos town. Each project costs PHP100 million.
In Bacarra town, the PDC has also endorsed the rehabilitation of Nambaran-Pulangi-Paninaan farm-to-market road connecting the Manila North Road and the wine and fruit juice making industry in Barangay 23 Paninaan, Bacarra.
The concreting of barangay roads to Mabaleng potato processing center and bamboo crafts making area from the Batac-Pinili national road were included with a proposed fund of PHP 36 million.
Also in the list is village road concreting leading to Capacuan sesame food processing and a road rehabilitation project leading to the Sumader cornik processing center along the Batac-Pinili national road via Parangopong, Batac City with an estimated funding of PHP79 million.
In November 2016, the two government agencies signed a memorandum of agreement for the ROLL IT project implementation on road connectivity for industry and trade development.
Under the agreement, DTI will identify areas where industry sectors need road facilities and connectivity.
The convergence project forms part of the national government’s infrastructure budget of 7 percent Gross Domestic Product, which is equivalent to more or less PHP8.2 trillion. (PNA)
