The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will expand the coverage of a master plan on constructing new road networks throughout the Philippines.
Public Works Secretary Mark Villar and JICA Philippines Office chief representative Susumo Ito signed on September 14 the records of discussion for the second phase of the High Standard Highway (HSH) Network Development Master Plan.
Villar said this new deal is a testament to Japan’s unrelenting support for Philippine infrastructure development and economic growth, as expanding the expressway network will hasten the development of the country’s regional cities, which will eventually help minimize over-concentration of socioeconomic activities in Metro Manila and diminish economic disparities across the country.
In July 2010, DPWH and JICA formulated the first phase of the HSH Network Development Master Plan, which intends to draw up various measures such as develop expressway networks, construct bypasses and ring roads in regional cities, and widen existing roads to address traffic congestion particularly in highly urbanized areas.
In the second phase, a JICA study team with personnel counterpart from DPWH will assess the overall conditions and problems in areas all over the country.
The study, which will be done over 18 months, will cover the review of present national road and expressway networks and development plans, as well as the 2010 master plan coverage; assess regional connectivity; undertake traffic surveys; formulate a future socioeconomic framework; forecast future traffic demand; identify issues of national roads and expressways; define the criteria for an HSH network; and formulate an HSH network development strategy consistent with the National Transport Policy.
It will also include the concept of network resilience against disasters and hazards as presented in the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan 2011-2028; identify priority projects; conduct pre-feasibility studies; and hold a public consultation of projects to support the Philippines’ crusade towards the “Golden Age of Infrastructure.”
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