MANILA -- The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has heeded the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to make life easier for common folks as the agency continues to build, upgrade and rehabilitate bridges, flood control structures and school buildings.
Through a budget provided by the Department of Agriculture, the DPWH built some 75 kilometers of farm-to-markets roads from July to November this year as part of President Marcos’ pledge to help farmers transport their harvest to public markets.
To ensure the unhampered transport of goods and services in the provinces, the DPWH built, 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.
The DPWH has also played an active role in disaster response like what it did in the aftermath of the magnitude 7.3 earthquake in Abra where the agency deployed thousands of personnel to help in the search, rescue and relief efforts.
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.
Responding to the President’s call to build high-quality and efficient infrastructure, the DPWH said in its accomplishment report that it has so far constructed, maintained and rehabilitated 1,105 kilometers of roads from July to November this year.
The DPWH’s major infrastructure projects include the Cavite-Laguna 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.
Also on the DPWH 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 8-point socioeconomic agenda include a traffic decongestion program through the construction of high-standard highways and expressways, bypasses, diversion roads, flyovers and interchanges.
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, the DPWH will construct and upgrade access roads leading to tourism destinations, industry and trade corridors, RORO ports, airports and railway stations.
To support the Agri-infrastructure Support Program, farm-to-market and farm-to-mill roads will be built, based on the DPWH program.
The DPWH also has programs on flood management, water management and basic social infrastructure support that will create more livable, sustainable and resilient communities. (PND)
