By Azer N. Parrocha
MANILA, Sept. 30 (PNA) — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Wednesday said that about 70 percent of roads leading to tourism destinations have already been completed.
“Out of the target of 2,500 km roads, 70 percent of that is completed while the rest are ongoing,” DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singon told the Philippines News Agency in an interview after the Philippine Economic Forum held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City.
Singson was referring to the Convergence Program for Enhancing Tourism Access or the Convergence Program between the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the DPWH.
This program allows the DOT and DPWH to identify, prioritize, and implement road access leading to tourism destinations as identified in the National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP).
It is meant to construct over 480 tourism roads in 15 regions in the country.
The DPWH chief pointed out that the agency has so far invested Php 60-billion to support roads to what the DOT has identified as primary tourism destinations.
“(The) Php 60-billion has been used in various stages of implementation. But in 2016, we are recommending an additional Php 24-billion,” Singson said.
He, however, said that the additional Php 24-billion budget for 2016 would be used to implement road infrastructure projects whose completion would be beyond June 2016.
“We have agreed that we will finish what we started but refer (the rest) to the next administration,” Singson said. (PNA)