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President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vowed to the continue building vital major infrastructure in the country as he led the inauguration on Friday of the Improving Growth Corridors in Mindanao Road Sector Project (IGCMRSP) in Zamboanga Peninsula.

“We will continue to build roads, bridges, ports, and airports all over the country so we can bring Filipinos closer together,” Marcos said during the event in Alicia, Zamboanga Sibugay.

“So, let us build upon this achievement as we continue the unending work of building structures that will bring a better life and an invigorating future for all our fellow Filipinos,” he added.

Improved physical connectivity, he said, will always be a vital facet of the nation’s development efforts, as outlined in the administration’s Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 and the 8-Point Socioeconomic Agenda.

That is why the government is more determined than ever to pursue projects that would realize the dream of a stronger and more interconnected Philippines, he noted.

The IGCMRSP, which has expanded from its original scope to include additional road and bridge developments across the Zamboanga Peninsula and Tawi-Tawi, has tremendous benefits, Marcos pointed out.

It will not only significantly expand the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) road network through improved physical connectivity in the region, but will also amplify the effects of economic and peace and order initiatives in Mindanao, he said.

At the same time, he expressed gratitude to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for its support, as he anticipates and hopes for continued collaboration in future projects that would fuel the nation’s progress in the coming years. IGCMRSP is funded through an Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan from the ADB.

The IGCMRSP involves the construction or improvement of 151.60 kilometers (km) of roads and 34 bridges with a total length of 3,374.87 linear meters (lm) in Zamboanga Peninsula and Tawi-Tawi.

The project, with a total length of 154.96 km, is divided into three core projects, five non-core projects, and three bridge projects.

Among the core projects that are already completed include Alicia-Malangas Road (24.03km with eight bridges), Tampilisan-Sandayong Road (15.3 km. with three bridges), and Lutiman-Guicam-Olutanga Road (29.7 km.)

Ongoing non-core projects are R.T. Lim-Siocon Road (24.5 km. with eight bridges), Guicam Bridge (1.2km), Curuan-Sibuco Road (33.05km with two bridges), Siay-Gapol Road (17.9 km with two bridges), and Gutalac-Baliguian Road (7.3 km with seven bridges).

Tawi-Tawi bridges that are ongoing are Nalil-Sikkiat Bridge (0.54 km), Tongsinah-Paniongan Bridge (0.57 km), and Malassa-Lupa Pula Bridge (0.68 km).

Once completed, the IGCMRSP will increase the capacity of the BIMP-EAGA road network with improved road network supporting economic growth, and improving peace and order situation in Mindanao. Presidential News Desk