P1.2-B allocated for feasibility studies of 82 infra projects

MANILA – A total of PHP1.23 billion under 2021 General Appropriations Act (GAA) has been allocated for the feasibility studies of 82 infrastructure projects nationwide, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said on Tuesday.

DPWH Secretary Mark Villar said over 80 projects are now under feasibility studies, preliminary and detailed engineering design, economic analysis, technical studies, and traffic impact assessment.

“On top of thousands of ongoing projects under DPWH, 82 new high-impact projects are being studied so we can further improve road network across the country,” he said in a statement.

He said timely studies are crucial to successful project development “as they lay the foundation for the implementation or civil works phase.”

In Luzon, Villar said 33 proposed projects have received study funding which include the Samson Road to NLEX Connector Link Project under DPWH National Capital Region amounting to PHP36.9 million and the Alaminos-Lucap Bypass Road in Pangasinan worth PHP11 million for Ilocos Region.

The Cordillera Administrative Region has received PHP94.4 million budget for seven projects which cover Mongol-Nalbu-Alimit-Nattum-Dulao Road and Boliwog-Abinuan-Alimit (Mayoyao) Road among others; four in Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) worth PHP37.5 million covering Baybayog Bypass Road and Quezon-Delfin Abano Road; four in Region 3 (Central Luzon) — PHP60 million covering San Miguel-Cabanatuan Road and San Leonardo-San Antonio Bypass Road and Concepcion-Mabalacat Bypass Road, among others.

The study funding also includes seven in Region 4-A (Calabarzon) — PHP126.3 million which include the Batangas Grand Terminal Flyover, Cavite-Batangas Bypass Road, and Tanza-Nasugbu Road; four in Region 4-B (Mimaropa) — PHP68.6 million covering Sablayan-Sta. Cruz Diversion Road and Lubang Island Circumferential Road; and five projects in Region 5 (Bicol) — PHP47.1 million which include the Sipocot Bypass Road and Mabolo-Almeda Bypass Road, among others.

The DPWH also allocated funding for studies of 19 projects in the Visayas composed of three in Region 6 costing PHP66.4 million covering Capiz-Aklan Coastal Road, among others; six in Region 7 (Central Visayas) costing PHP106.2 million which covers Pamplona-Tanjay City-Bayawan City Road and Mambaling South Boulevard; and, the 10 projects in Region 8 (Eastern Visayas) — PHP108.9 million inclusive of Baybay-McArthur Road and Nabang-Gadgaran Diversion Road.

For Mindanao, 29 projects received appropriation for four projects in Region 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula) — PHP71.4 million which cover Sirawai-Tungawan Diversion Road in Zamboanga del Norte and Putik-Campo Island Diversion Road in Zamboanga City; 11 projects in Region 10 (Northern Mindanao) — PHP160.4 million covering Iligan City-Magsaysay Agri-Industrial Road and Dansolihan-Camp Kibaritan-Languindingan Road.

Four projects in Region 11 (Davao) costing PHP51.5 million covering Panacan-Bunawan Flyover and Tagum City-Sto. Tomas Diversion Road have allotted PHP51.5 million study funding; two projects in Region 12 (Soccsksargen) with PHP17.4 million for Bolebak-Pansud Alternate Road and Midsayap-Libungan Bypass Road; and eight projects in Region 13 (Caraga) which include the Libanga-San Miguel Road and NRJ Santiago-Cantilan Road, among others.

The Poblacion Sta. Maria-Malungon Road, an inter-regional road connecting Davao del Sur to Sarangani has also received study funding in the amount of PHP17.4 million.