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BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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Friday, September 8, 2017
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ILOILO City – Representatives from China’s state-owned CCCC Highways Consultants Co., Ltd. are in Iloilo province preparing for a pre-feasibility study on proposed bridges linking the Western Visayas islands of Panay, Guimaras and Negros.
“They were authorized by their Ministry of Commerce to conduct the pre-feasibility study,” said Provincial Administrator Raul Banias.
CCCC Highways Consultants Co., Ltd. is based in Beijing. Its representatives brought company brochures showing they have a lot of experience in bridge and road construction, said Banias, such as the recently completed 60-km bridge linking Macau and mainland China.
Expenses for the pre-feasibility study will be shouldered by the company, said Banias.
“They will be gathering data from government agencies, including the provincial government of Iloilo,” he added.
According to Public Works secretary Mark Villar during a visit to Iloilo on Aug. 26, results of the pre-feasibility study will be submitted to the National Economic and Development Authority.
He expressed confidence that the bridge project would materialize.
“Makapagsimula na hopefully by last quarter of next year,” said Villar. “May five years pa si Presidente, definitely within his term pipilitin namin matapos.”
“’Yung Department of Finance magde-decide saan kukuha ng pondo. Kami naman sa DPWH ang implementation,” the secretary added.
It was reported in March this year that the Chinese government may fund the proposed Panay-Guimaras-Negros bridges project. Finance secretary Carlos Dominguez III and Vice Minister Fu Ziying of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce exchanged letters on two feasibility studies of nine proposed projects that could receive Chinese support.
One of the two studies was on the construction of the Panay-Guimaras-Negros bridges. The other was the Davao City expressway project.
Building the bridges to connect the three islands was dreamed way back during the administration of then President Corazon Aquino but none of the administrations that succeeded hers managed to concretize the plan for lack of funds./PN
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