On the orders of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., a road system connecting Zamboanga Sibugay and Zamboanga del Norte, touted as a key gateway for progress in the Zamboanga Peninsula and, by extension, the entire Mindanao region, is now 95 percent complete.
President Marcos had ordered the swift construction of high-impact infrastructure projects that would benefit ordinary Filipinos while using public funds judiciously, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said.
“Dagdag pa ng Pangulo, dapat ay mabilis ang pagkakagawa ng mga kalsada at tulay upang agad itong mapakinabangan ng karamihan,” Castro said in a Palace briefing on Thursday.
Responding to the President’s order, representatives of the Department of Finance (DOF), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) recently visited the R.T. Lim-Siocon Road connecting Zamboanga Sibugay and Zamboanga del Norte.
“Siniguro ng Department of Finance na maayos na nagagamit ang pondo ng taumbayan sa mga proyektong makabuluhan,” Castro said.
The R.T. Lim–Siocon Road measures about 24.6 kilometers. It is comprised of 24.3 km of Portland cement concrete pavement and six newly constructed bridges with a combined length of 430.11 linear meters.
The road is now 95 percent complete and is scheduled to be opened by September 2025, the DOF said in a statement.
Once completed, it is expected to revitalize the economy of Region IX by lowering transportation costs, boosting trade, and improving the movement of people and goods, the DOF said.
The road is part of the Improving Growth Corridors in Mindanao Road Sector Project (IGCMRSP) financed through official development assistance from the ADB and government funds.
The IGCMRSP aims to expand the capacity of the Brunei Darussalam–Indonesia–Malaysia–Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) road network, unlock economic potential, and enhance peace and order in Mindanao, the DOF stated. | PND
