📋 Tender Overview
KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato (PIA)--Construction of the Magpet-Davao City road, which was halted in 2024 has continued, an official of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 12 announced. DPWH 12 Regional Director Basir Ibrahim, during Philippine Information Agency 12s Performing and Informing program on August 11 confirmed that construction works for the road project have resumed with 3.75 kilometers being added to the 7.98 kilometers completed in 2022 and 2023. Layunin ng DPWH na ipagpatuloy ang konstruksyon ng Magpet (Pangao-an - Don Panaca) papuntang Davao City via Salaysay (Indawhong- Ballah-Masawang) to Lumondao (junction Bukidnon to Davao) Road, Magpet, North Cotabato project, Director Ibrahim said. [DPWH aims to continue the construction of the Magpet (Pangao-an - Don Panaca) to Davao City via Salaysay (Indawhong-Ballah-Masawang) to Lumondao (junction of Bukidnon and Davao) Road in Magpet, North Cotabato.] The project, with a total length of 46.33 kilometers, will open new options of travel between Regions 11 and 12, reducing travel time for people of Cotabato Province through the Municipality of Magpet to Davao City, he added. Through the support of local government partners, the continuing road construction project is being funded under Sustainable Infrastructure Projects Alleviating Gaps (SIPAG). SIPAG is a flagship initiative of DPWH designed to address infrastructure disparities especially in underserved and geographically isolated areas. Its scope includes construction of roads, bridges, and flood mitigation structures; rehabilitation of roads affected by landslides, slope collapse, or erosion; and building access roads linking national highways to strategic public facilities. SIPAG is geared towards boosting economic activity by improving connectivity; enabling faster access to education, healthcare, and livelihood opportunities; and enhancing climate resilience and public safety in vulnerable areas. The Magpet-Davao City Road was first proposed to the JRTF-ELCAC by then Mayor (now vice mayor) Florenito Gonzaga in 2020. Gonzaga reasoned that opening a road in the area will help the efforts of the government to end insurgency in the area, which has long been entry and exit points of the New Peoples Army operating in the boundaries of Davao and SOCCSKSARGEN Regions. Besides addressing the problems regarding the presence of communist terrorists in the area, this road project will also boost economic activities between Magpet and Davao City, Gonzaga explained when he proposed the project. Per proposal, the project covers improvement of 13.04-km existing Pangao-an-Don Panaca road, rehabilitation of 6.87-km old logging road from Don Panaca to Sitio Langguay, opening of a road out of a 6.25-km trail from Sitio Langguay to the logging road, rehabilitation of the existing 2.68-km logging road to Sitio Indawhong, and improvement of a 17.49-km existing road from Sitio Indawhong to Barangay Lumondao (junction of Bukidnon-Davao highway). Lumondao is only 41.46 km to Ulas in Davao City. (DED, PIA Region 12)
