Rep. Rufus Rodriguez (2nd District, Cagayan de Oro City) is pushing for the construction of a 240km Trans-Mindanao Superhighway to boost the economy of the Philippines' southernmost region.
"Mindanao, sadly, is still known as the land of promise," said Rodriguez. "We cannot afford to remain in a state of dreams. Development is a must."
In line with this, Rodriguez--together with his brother and Abante Mindanao party list Rep. Maximo Rodriguez--filed House Bill 3929, which pushes for the construction of the superhighway that would connect four provincial capitals in the Caraga and northern Mindanao regions to the Laguindingan international airport.
"This highway would pass through Prosperidad in Agusan del Sur, Malaybalay and Talakag in Bukidnon, which will connect to the Talakag-Barangay Dansolihon highway and the Barangay Dansolihon-Barangay San Simon-Laguindingan Airport highway," Rodriguez explained.
The brothers also noted that Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Sur are isolated from Western Mindanao due to the absence of an east-to-west highway. Its construction would give residents from the Caraga Region access to the Laguindingan Airport, with a travel time of four hours from Tandag to the airport.
"As a result, people from Caraga would no longer have to travel to Cebu or Manila to have access to airports for their travels within and outside the country," Rodriguez pointed out.
