(File photo courtesy of DPWH)
MANILA – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Tuesday said it has heeded the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to construct high-quality and efficient infrastructure through the building, upgrade and rehabilitation of bridges, flood control structures and school buildings.
In its accomplishment report disseminated by the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS), the DPWH said it has so far constructed, maintained and rehabilitated 1,105 kilometers of roads from July to November this year.
Also, it has upgraded and rehabilitated a total of 112 bridges, 650 flood control structures as well as 2,575 school buildings for use of public school students.
In the same period, the DPWH added that it has built some 75 kilometers of farm-to-market roads through funding provided by the Department of Agriculture (DA), which is part of the government’s pledge to help farmers transport their harvest to public markets.
Major infrastructure projects
The DPWH’s major infrastructure projects include the Cavite-Laguna Expressway, North Luzon Expressway-South Luzon Expressway (NLEX-SLEX) Connector Road, Central Luzon Link Expressway, Cagayan de Oro River Flood Management project, Samar-Pacific Coastal Road and the Mindanao Growth Corridor Road Sector Project.
Likewise on the DPWH's list are road network development projects in conflict-affected areas in Mindanao, Laguna-Lakeshore Road Network, Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge, Panguil Bay Bridge, Samal Island-Davao City Bridge and the Davao City Bypass Construction project.
The agency's key priority programs under the administration’s eight-point socioeconomic agenda include a traffic decongestion program through the construction of high-standard highways and expressways, bypasses, diversion roads, flyovers and interchanges.
Disaster response
The DPWH has also played an active role in disaster response.
In its report to Malacañang, the DPWH said it deployed more than 7,000 personnel as the government responded to several disaster areas brought about by earthquakes and the successive typhoons that hit the country this year.
Aside from personnel deployment, the DPWH also dispatched 1,711 pieces of equipment and cleared 168 road sections in multiple provinces from Luzon to Mindanao.
Other major projects
The DPWH is also actively involved in the Integrated and Seamless Transport System Program such as improving the Daang Maharlika, construction of inter-island linkages and mega bridges, and connecting gaps along national roads.
Through its Rural Roads Convergence Program, it will construct and upgrade access roads leading to tourism destinations, industry and trade corridors, roll on-roll off (RORO) ports, airports and railway stations.
To support the government's Agri-infrastructure Support Program, farm-to-market and farm-to-mill roads will be built, based on the DPWH program.
The DPWH is also implementing programs on flood management, water management and basic social infrastructure support that will create more livable, sustainable and resilient communities. (PNA)
