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[av_heading heading=’Agencies pursuing 2 road network projects’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”][/av_heading]
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Saturday, March 11, 2017
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BACOLOD City – Two government agencies will work on two road network projects positioned to spur economic growth in Negros Occidental.
Provincial officials of the departments of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Public Works and Highways (DPWH) have discussed the initial stage of the project under the Roads Leveraging Linkages for Industry and Trade, or ROLL IT, program.
Under ROLL IT, each province shall prioritize two major road networks for funding under the 2018 General Appropriations Act, said DTI provincial director Lea Gonzales.
The DTI already identified the road networks, but these will still be subject to verification and validation by the DPWH, Gonzales said.
“[These road projects] will surely boost connectivity and lower the cost of local enterprises,” she said.
Like the Department of Agriculture’s farm-to-market roads, these will also make the transport of raw materials and finished goods easier, she added.
The joint initiative of the DTI and the DPWH focuses on addressing the needs of the Philippines’ 12 priority industries: electronic manufacturing services, automotive and auto parts, aerospace parts, chemicals, shipbuilding, furniture and garments, tool and die for engineering works, agribusiness, information technology-business process management, transport and logistics, tourism, and construction.
The ROLL IT includes road and bridge construction/rehabilitation.
Existing roads, not necessarily new ones, may be involved, depending on the needs of the industries, said Gonzales.
In Negros Occidental, the two road networks would most probably be one in the north and another in the south, she said.
“While the DPWH is speeding up the gathering of data, the DTI is also profiling the companies and industries that could benefit from the projects,” she added.
The identified road networks will be endorsed to the Infrastructure Committee during the Negros Island Regional Development Council meeting in Canlaon City on March 17.
Aside from bridging enterprises to the markets, the ROLL IT program also aims to generate more employment and business opportunities for residents and local entrepreneurs, respectively. (PNA)
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