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Sec. Ace Durano

Durano to champion Trans-Visayas Friendship Bridges, 6 other tourism infra for Bohol

The Trans-Visayas Friendship Bridges Project found a champion in tourism secretary Joseph Ace Durano, who has committed to include the same in the priority projects for the Central Philippines Super Region.

LPP President Gov. Erico B. Aumentado of Bohol discusses the concept paper of the Trans-Visayas Friendship Bridges during the Visayas Governors Meeting held at Bacolod City.

In a meeting with Gov. Erico B. Aumentado last Tuesday, Sec. Durano, who is concurrently the Cabinet Officer for Central Philippine Super Region, committed to tag the project, along with six other tourism-related infrastructure projects in Bohol as priority.

Aside from Sec. Durano, the governor also sought the endorsement of Presidential Management Staff director general Arthur Yap on these seven vital projects.

Aumentado handed over his letter to Sec. Yap during the Infrastructure Summit held last Wednesday at the Dusit Hotel.

The Trans-Visayas Friendship Bridges, which envisions to connect Bohol to Cebu and Southern Leyte, Cebu with Oriental Negros, Negros Occidental with Panay Island and Guimaras with Iloilo, in order to reduce the cost of transporting products, people and tourists from one region to the other as well as the cost of transmitting power and energy among the provinces in the Visayas, is a brainchild of Aumentado.
Apart from the Trans-Visayas Friendship Bridges, the governor also sought the inclusion of the Bohol Circumferential Road Improvement Project Phase III which includes the Panglao Island Circumferential Road and Panglao Central Road, including the coastways linking the island with Tagbilaran City as part of Package I and the Ubay-Mabini-Candijay-Cogtong-Anda-Guindulman Coastal Highway under Package II in the super-region’s priority projects.

These six projects will be made part of the national government’s program on developing tourism highways and the Strong Republic Nautical Highway.

The other projects he also sought to be included in the shortlist are the: Loay Interior Road to Trinidad and Loay Interior Road (Jct. Dat-an) Carmen-Sierra Bullones-Pilar-Alicia, the Tubigon-Sagbayan-Carmen-Sierra Bullones-Jagna Port to Port Road; and the Panglao Island Tourism Estate Road Network – Tinago-Dao (Dauis) and Poblacion-Doljo (Panglao) stretches.

The Trans-Visayas Friendship Bridges has been endorsed by the governors of the three regions in the Visayas as well as the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines.

The concept paper of the project was prepared by Pacific Consultants (Philippines) International, Inc. on pro bono, with the Province of Negros Occidental proposing for the putting up of an alternative viaduct from the province at Tomonton Point in E.B. Magalona to San Juan Point, Banate, Iloilo in Panay Island.

In a meeting of all Visayas governors last August 30, they agreed to put up a collective counterpart equivalent to 50 percent of the total cost of conducting the feasibility study for the project.

Aumentado has likewise submitted these seven projects to the NEDA for inclusion in the MTPDP 2005 – 2010 and the DPWH for consideration. (angelica j. sanchez)