MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will seek foreign funding, particularly from Japan, to accelerate the completion of the proposed extension of the Cagayan de Oro (CDO) Coastal Road, Secretary Vince Dizon said Friday.
Dizon said the coastal road extension would require about P34 billion, an amount that would be difficult to fund solely through the government’s regular infrastructure budget.
“We will now look for foreign funding for this. If we rely only on local funds, we cannot finish this quickly and properly,” according to the DPWH chief who inspected the area on Thursday with local agency and provincial government officials.
Dizon said he planned to discuss the project with Japanese partners, that he noted have significant investments in Mindanao, for possible inclusion in a broader plan for road projects in the region.
For now, Dizon said the DPWH has secured P600 million for the coastal road, including P220 million that was recently released. The funding would allow the public works department to complete an ongoing bridge component of the project.
The coastal road was among three infrastructure projects being prioritized by the DPWH in CDO following closer coordination with local officials, he said.
He said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had directed the DPWH to focus on projects identified as priorities by local governments, citing past instances when infrastructure projects were implemented with little or no coordination with local officials.
The second priority is the Eastern Interior Road, which requires about P7- billion, the top DPWH official said.
The DPWH said it would provide an additional P1 billion for the project in 2027, which he described as the largest allocation the agency has so far provided for the project.
Dizon said the government would also continue seeking funding for the road and work with local government units to secure the necessary right-of-way.
The Eastern Interior Road is expected to help ease traffic congestion in CDO, he said.
The third priority is the unfinished Makabalan-Bonbon Bridge, which was already nearing completion. “We will fund that and finish that by early next year,” he said.
Dizon said CDO and Northern Mindanao were being prioritized because the city served as a gateway to the rest of Mindanao.
“The President asked me to come here and really prioritize Northern Mindanao, especially Cagayan de Oro, because this is the gateway of the rest of the country to Mindanao and other countries to Mindanao,” he said.
Dizon also credited closer coordination with CDO Rep. Rufus Rodriguez and local officials in identifying and advancing the priority projects.
