ECONOMIC HORIZON BRIGHTENS WITH ADB-FUNDED R.T. LIM-SIOCON ROAD IN ZAMBOANGA PENINSULA INCHING CLOSER TO FULL COMPLETION
The imminent completion of a Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) road project in Zamboanga Sibugay and Zamboanga Del Norte will play a significant step towards fostering growth corridors and improving transportation infrastructure in the Western Mindanao Region.
Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain, in-charge of DPWH infrastructure flagship projects, expressed satisfaction with the progress of the 24.5-kilometer R.T. Lim – Siocon Road under the Improving Growth Corridors for Mindanao Road Sector Project (IGCMRSP) funded by a loan agreement between the Government of the Philippines and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) following an inspection on February 17, 2024 with Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) – Roads Management Cluster II (Multilateral) Project Director Sharif Madsmo H. Hasim.
At more than 82 percent, the R.T. Lim – Siocon Road signifies progress in infrastructure development under the “Bagong Pilipinas”, the overarching theme of the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. brand of governance and leadership, as this road network is expected to bring positive impacts such as enhanced transportation efficiency and safety, said Senior Undersecretary Sadain.
In his inspection report to Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan, Senior Undersecretary Sadain said that 22.5 kilometers of portland concrete cement paving works are already completed while the construction of six (6) bridges namely Lituban, Kuyan, Mambong, Tabayo, Pisawak 2 and Tagaytay including concrete road shoulder and lined canal are in full-blast activities.
Aimed at catalyzing growth, the upcoming completion of the road project is poised to better connect communities of the municipality of R.T. Lim, Zamboanga Sibugay to the town of Siocon, Zamboanga Del Norte and set to play a crucial role in the revitalization of Region 9 as it is expected to stimulate economic activities and create new opportunities.
The entire alignment of R.T. Lim – Siocon Road, covers a total distance 64 kilometers with some sections considered as exception to the existing ADB-financed contract of China Wuyi Company Ltd. due to road works undertaken from 2016 to 2019 by the DPWH Regional Office 9.
However, some previously completed sections by the Regional Office 9 were heavily damaged lately by intermittent landslides, rockfall and road slips brought about by heavy rainfall due to the various occurrence of inter-tropical convergence zone and low pressure area in CY 2022 and 2023.
Collaborative efforts for the clearing operations were jointly undertaken immediately by the UPMO-Roads Management Cluster II (Multilateral) thru its contractor China Wuyi Company, Ltd. by virtue of the ongoing ADB project, the DPWH Regional Office 9 and Zamboanga Sibugay District Engineering Office, and the provincial government to make those calamity-affected road sections in Zamboanga Sibugay passable at the earliest time.
The total rehabilitation of those damaged section is being requested as a supplement to the ADB funded project.
DPWH thru the UPMO Operations comprehensively implements and facilitates the development of the more than one hundred kilometer IGCMRSP under different sub-projects in line with the strategies of accelerating infrastructure development of increasing the capacity of the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) road network.
Three of (3) the core sub-projects were inaugurated by President Marcos in July 2023, covering the 24.03-kilometer Alicia-Malangas Road, 15.35-kilometer Tampilisan-Sandayang Road, and the 29.70-kilometer Lutiman-Guican-Olutunga Road.
Other on-going sub-projects in Zamboanga Peninsula are the 1.2-kilometer Guicam Bridge, 7.38-kilometer Gutalac-Baliguian Alternative Road, 33.05-kilometer Curuan-Sibuco Road, and 17.93-kilometer Siay-Gapol Road.
In Tawi-Tawi Province, two (2) projects have on-going civil works namely Nalil-Sikkiat Bridge over Bongao Channel and Malassa-Lupa Pula Bridge over Manalik Channel to mainland Tawi-Tawi island while a third bridge specifically Tongsinah-Panlongan Bridge over Sanga-Sanga Channel connecting to Papahag Island is undergoing procurement.
Interestingly, feasibility studies and detailed engineering design are also on-going for other IGCMRSP namely Zamboanga City East Diversion Road; Isabela City-Malamawi Island Bridge, Basilan; rehabilitation/improvement of Zamboanga City-Ipil National Road, Zamboanga City Boundary Section; construction of bypass and diversion road: Jct. Sindangan-Siayan-Dumingag-Mahayag Road to Jct. Liloy-Ipil Road; construction of boulevard along Ipil Coastline, Zamboanga; Jct. Davao-Bukidnon Road; construction of Patikul-Jolo-Indanan Coastal Bypass Road; and rehabilitation/improvement of Sulu Circumferential Road.