BISLIG CITY, Philippines - The tourism industry in this part of the country is now in full swing with the completion of the P26,796,488.92 Lingig (Surigao del Sur)-Trento (Agusan del Sur) Road Project that has been made available for use of commuters and local entrepreneurs.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said the completion of the project will hasten the transport of farm products in the area to the various markets, and expected to benefit some 240,619 residents of the 112 villages and four towns in the second district of Surigao del Sur, and several towns in the neighboring province of Agusan del Sur.
It was learned that the project was implemented under the supervision of the Surigao del Sur DPWH 2nd District Engineering Office led by officer-in-charge District Engineer Eulogio D. Milla.
As this developed, the provincial and city officials of Surigao del Sur, Bislig City, and Agusan del Sur expressed gratitude to the DPWH officials for the completion of the road project, which, according to them, "a vital structure for tourism and agricultural development."
The provincial government of Surigao del Sur along with its tourism municipalities are developing at least 14 tourism destinations, including the majestic Tinuy-an Falls here where local and foreign tourists have started visiting.
"This new completed concreted road is very vital in our tourism industry here," said City Mayor Librado C. Navarro.
As part of its on-going convergence programs in the implementation of various infrastructure supportive of other national government agencies' mandate, the DPWH has recently joined forces with the Department of Tourism (DoT), and Research Education and Institutional Development (REID) Foundation, Inc., a non-government organization, by signing a Memorandum of Agreement that will cover the integration of plans and programs in support of the government's tourism infrastructure development project as mandated by Republic Act (RA) 9593 or the Tourism Act of 2009, said DPWH Region-13 Director Danilo E. Versola.
The DPWH, DoT, and REID established a close partnership in the identification, evaluation, prioritization, and implementation of tourism infrastructure in priority tourist destination areas in the Philippines, in support of the goals and targets of the National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP), and the Philippine Development Plan (PDP).
Part of DPWH's commitment is to develop the Tourism Road Infrastructure Project Prioritization Criteria (TRIPC) to serve as an implementation mechanism of RA 9593, prepare multi-year program, forward estimates, and annual tourism road infrastructure program, said Versola, quoting the statement of Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio L. Singson.
