By Fruto Sumagaysay/PNA
GENERAL SANTOS CITY — The provincial government of South Cotabato has received an additional grant of about PHP127.2 million from the national government for implementation of priority road projects this year.
Bryan de Eyoy, project development officer of the Provincial Planning and Development Office, said Monday the funding forms part of the province’s share for 2019 under the Conditional Matching Grant to Provinces (CMGP).
De Eyoy said at least six road projects, with a total length of 10.54 km., were approved for funding and implementation in the province.
“These are composed of road expansions and upgrading or concreting, covering major roads in seven municipalities,” he said in an interview.
The approved projects include the upgrading of junction national highway-Cebuano-Kipalbig boundary road in Tupi and Tampakan towns worth PHP22.8 million, and the upgrading of junction national highway-New Iloilo-Cabuling-New Lambunao boundary road in Tantangan worth PHP24.8 million.
The projects will be implemented by the Provincial Engineer’s Office (PEO) in coordination with the Department of Public Works and Highways.
In the past two years, the national government has released PHP542.6 million for road expansion and upgrading in the province under the CMGP, which was formerly known as the ” Konkreto at Ayos na Lansangan ang Daan Tungo sa Pangkalahatang Kaunlaran” or KALSADA program.
CMGP aims to partly address the poor state of provincial roads across the country and to improve the competency of provinces in local road management and in incorporating reforms in public financial management.
A report released by the PEO showed that a total of 177 infrastructure projects worth PHP1.1 billion were implemented in the entire province in 2018.
It included 16 special projects that were approved for the area in the past two years under the CMGP.
De Eyoy said the province has so far emerged as among the top implementers of CMGP projects based on an assessment conducted by the Department of the Interior and Local Government.
