Ongoing major infrastructure projects in the region once completed will become the economic driver that will continue to contribute to the development of the region.
DPWH-CAR Regional Director Khadaffy Tanggol mentioned that LGUs should propose projects especially to barangays that don’t have access to national and municipal roads including small projects with great impact to the community.
The DPWH-CAR reported its major infrastructure projects, one of which is the Baguio-La Trinidad-Itogon-Sablan-Tuba-Tublay (BLISTT) Outer Ring Circumferential Road with 36.69 percent completed based of total project cost.
This ongoing project is expected to decongest traffic in highly urbanized BLISTT area reducing travel time by 50-60 percent.
On the Tourism Road Infrastructure Program (TRIP), implemented under DOT-DPWH Convergence program that aims to make tourist spots in the region accessible, out of the target 565.783 kilometers across the region, 307.086 kilometers is now paved
The Tatag ng Imprastraktura para sa Kapayapaan At Seguridad (TIKAS) program of the DPWH with DND and PNP already completed 9 projects out of 19 as of 2019 to 2020. There are still 8 projects that are still on-going and 2 projects have not yet started.
In the improvement of internet connectivity the Department of Information and Communication Luzon Cluster 1 Director Nestor Bongato reported that as of May 2021, there are already 145 active sites that provides free Wi-Fi in the Cordillera region.
The DICT also installed Regional Government Network (GovNet) in the region to interconnect government agencies and have enable faster communication, better coordination, easier access to online services and simplified processes. RD Bongato also added that there are 62 operational sites for GovNet and an additional of 12 more sites are proposed in the region.
Another program of the DICT is the Technology Empowerment for Education, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (Tech4ED) that give communities free access to information, communication, technology, government services, non-formal education, skills training, telehealth, job markets, and business portals. A total of 95 Tech4ED Centers have been established in CAR in 2020.
Sharon B. Africano of NEDA-CAR reported that 76 infrastructure projects amounting to Php 2.4 billion were flagged for various levels of delays. The number of flagged projects for the first quarter of 2021 is significantly lower compared to the first quarter of 2020. (Joseph Manzano, RPN DZBS Baguio OIC)
(Source: NEDA-CAR)