Are you a fan of the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) continuous push for more roads in the Philippines? If the answer is yes, then you’re probably going to approve of the agency’s recent collaboration with our friends over in Japan.
The DPWH says that it has received what it calls a High Standard Highway (HSH) “master plan” for local infrastructure from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Essentially, this master plan contains proposals for the continued development of our country’s road systems. This includes thousands of kilometers of new highways.
Projects are broken down into several categories. Class-1 HSHs are situated along what the DPWH calls “transport corridors” and are comprised of 406km of existing highways, 265km that are already under construction, and 3,279km that are yet to be built. These then branch into 4,400km Class-2 HSH projects that reach out to ports, airports, and other areas not covered by Class-1 projects.
The DPWH added that HSH projects are also categorized into long-term, medium-term, and short-term. The JICA is also expected to provide a pre-feasibility study for projects in Cebu, Central Mindanao, and Cagayan de Oro, among other locations.
“We are grateful for JICA’s technical capacity and expertise in world-class infrastructure for it is crucial not just in decongesting highly urbanized areas but also in achieving the 2040 National Development Plan of making the Philippines a prosperous country by investing in high-quality infrastructure,” DPWH acting secretary Roger Mercado said in a statement.
There’s still no telling when exactly these new proposals and projects will come to fruition, but at least we know there’s a plan. Do you think the further expansion of our nation’s road system will help alleviate our traffic problems?
