The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region IV-A is speeding up work on several of its high impact projects in CALABARZON amid the threat of the pandemic. The Region’s accomplishments support the government’s commitment to its “Build, Build, Build” program, which seeks to improve traffic conditions in the country, provide convenient access to markets, attract more business opportunities, and generate jobs for millions of people.
Despite restrictions brought about by the pandemic, from the year 2020 to 2021, the Region has completed the construction, rehabilitation, and improvement of 2,542.25 kilometers of roads, 672 bridges, and 319 flood mitigation structures. It remained committed to its mandate to improve safety, connectivity and access for locals.
Some of the highlights of the Region’s infrastructure development are the opening of the major projects in Quezon Province: Tayabas Bypass Road, Sariaya Bypass Road, and Lopez Bypass Road, which would all improve interconnectivity to Bicol Region and Metro Manila; also the partially opened portion of the Tagaytay Bypass Road, East-West Lateral Road, and Kaykulot Diversion Road in Cavite, and the Alaminos-San Pablo City Bypass Road in Laguna, the Angono Antipolo Diversion Road in Rizal, and some of the multi-year projects in Batangas: the 10.97 km Batangas City-San Pascual Bauan Diversion Road and the 11.509 km Lipa City Padre Garcia Diversion Road.
Tayabas Bypass Road
Sariaya Bypass Road
The Region has also facilitated the completion of several of its convergence projects with Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Tourism (DOT), and Department of National Defense (DND).
One that was recently inaugurated in coordination with DepEd is located in Tagaytay City, a 100-classroom structure, accomplishing a total of 484 classrooms for CY 2020-2021, regionwide. It has also reported the completion of the COA National Training Center and Dormitory, also located in Tagaytay City.
Tagaytay Bypass Road
The construction and rehabilitation of various infrastructure in Camp BGen Vicente P. Lim under the DPWH-DND Convergence program (TIKAS), which complements the AFP’s modernization program, are ongoing covering funds from the FY 2020 and FY 2021 GAA.
The Region also assisted with the construction of buildings and facilities under MOA with UP Los Banos, aside from the completed widening and rehabilitated roads inside the campus. To enhance tourism in the Region, the government’s convergence program includes the ongoing Lobo-Malabrigo-Laiya-San Juan Road and the Taal Lake Circumferential Road, both located in Batangas province.
100-classroom in Tagaytay City
Other high impact projects that will soon be completed in the CALABARZON Region are the following: Bacoor-Imus Bypass Road worth P315M, the Manila-Batangas Bypass Road which is expected to ease traffic congestion within Lipa City, and the SLEX (San Pedro) Northbound Exit Interchange which involves the construction of roads, toll plaza, and bridge crossing SLEX road.
As one of the national agencies participating in the fight against COVID-19, DPWH Region IV-A gave updates as of July 2021, on the completion of 56 out of 58 isolation facilities, which can accommodate 1,676 individuals, constructed from the years 2020 and 2021 funding. The utilization rate is currently at 22.2%.
Aside from its purpose to isolate COVID-positive individuals, some units are also being used as vaccination sites. The agency added that more COVID-19 facilities have been proposed in coordination with the local government units in CALABARZON as part of the government’s COVID-19 response to augment bed capacity nationwide. INQUIRER.net BrandRoom/DBS
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