Caraga braces growth from big infra projects, attracts P4.7 M peace-building aid
(October 27, 2006)
SUPER REGION CARAGA. DPWH Caraga regional director Romeo Momo (standing) responds to queries from local chief executives in Caraga on the status of various priority infrastructure projects in the region while Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process and Mindanao Super Region Development Champion Jesus Dureza (fourth from left) listens at the Mindanao Super Region Forum-Caraga Leg held last week in Butuan City. The Caraga leg is the first of a series of roadshows conducted to disseminate information about the Mindanao Super Region initiative and provide venue as well to discuss priority programs and projects in Mindanao. Photo also shows Governors Erlpe John Amante of Agusan del Norte and Vicente Pimentel Jr. of Surigao del Sur and MEDCo Chair Virgilio Leyretana (extreme right).
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BUTUAN CITY- The fight against poverty is gaining headway in Caraga as big ticket infrastructure as well as peace-building projects are underway to promote peace, trade and greater access to goods and basic services in the region.
At the recently held Mindanao Super Region Forum-Caraga Leg in Butuan City, the Department of Public Works and Highways Region 13 revealed that the region's infrastructure development program is boldly making accomplishments to address its infrastructure bottlenecks.
Construction of the P2.1 billion Second Magsaysay Bridge and Butuan City Bypass Road project, a major landmark project in Caraga, is now running at 92.49% actual accomplishment rate as of October.
During an inspection led by Presidential Peace Adviser and Mindanao Super Region Development Champion Jesus Dureza, along with Mindanao Economic Development Council Chair Virgilio Leyretana and officials from DPWH 13 and NEDA 13 held at the project site in Barangay San Vicente, Butuan City last week, the main structure at the east side of the main bridge and viaduct is already connected while fixing of stay cables is almost done. Its main bridge structure is scheduled for completion next month.
The Second Magsaysay Bridge is a steel cable stayed bridge, the first of its kind in the whole of Mindanao and second in the Philippines (next to Second Mandaue-Mactan Bridge in Cebu.
With a total span of 882 meters, it will become an alternative crossing in Agusan River to connect the Philippine-Japan Friendship Highway (Surigao-Agusan-Davao Road) and the Butuan City-Cagayan-Iligan road.
"I remember two years ago when I visited here, this is still on the drawing board and now it's a dream fulfilled. This bridge is the most beautiful span we have seen that can compete architecturally with other infrastructure projects in other parts of Asia and it is to the credit of local leadership with the support of national government who made this project possible," said Dureza, adding that the realization of the multi-million bridge project is a result of a super region-like strategy that has long been pursued to develop Mindanao.
At the forum, Dureza said that four of the infrastructure projects placed under the Mindanao Super Region Initiative of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo are in Caraga. These include the Dinagat Island Road Network, Butuan Airport, Surigao-Davao Coastal Road and Hawilian-Salug-Sinakungan Barangay Road project.
DPWH Caraga Regional Director Romeo Momo said an initial funding of P100 million was recently released to launch construction of the Dinagat Island Road Network which is seen critical in providing access between urban and rural areas in Dinagat Island. He said detailed engineering work is being done while its bidding process is set to take off before yearend.
Meanwhile, the construction and improvement of Surigao-Davao Coastal Road is also ongoing. Composed of five road sections which are the junction Bacuag-Claver Provincial boundary, provincial boundary-Tandag-Marihatag, Marihatag-Barobo-Tagbina-Hinatuan, Bislig-Manay and Manay-Mati, this road will be completed starting this year until 2010 at a total cost of P5.8 billion.
Meanwhile, the GoP-UN ACT for Peace Programme has recently launched assistance in Caraga with the signing of its partnership agreements with three partner non-government organizations in Caraga namely the Associates for Integral Development Foundation, Inc (AID Foundation), Agusan for People's Health Development Foundation Inc and Surigao del Sur Organization for Health and Development Inc.
The total programme support amounts to P4.7 million which covers social preparation work in 20 barangays identified to become peace and development communities in the Caraga region. An area management office will be set up soon in Caraga to facilitate an efficient and more focused peace-building work in the region that has been confronted with communist insurgency problems for several years.
To sustain the development momentum in Caraga, Dureza however urged local stakeholders at the forum to strengthen convergence and invite donors to come to the region.
"We will have to do a lot of advocacy work to put Caraga again on the radar screen of the donors. I urge you to expand convergence efforts and make the Mindanao Super Region as your entry point so that Caraga will get the attention it deserves," Dureza said. The Mindanao Super Region Forum-Caraga Leg is the first of a series of roadshows for the Super Region Initiative in Mindanao.
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