MEDCo News and Photo Release: Completion of road, airport projects seen to boost Zambo Norte tourism

Completion of road, airport projects seen to boost Zambo Norte tourism.

DAPITAN CITY - As the completion of major road and airport projects in Zamboanga Del Norte is seen critical in boosting tourism, the improvement and rehabilitation of the Dapitan-Dakak Road and Dipolog Airport are now being fast-tracked to provide greater access to the region´s famous tourist attractions by yearend.

Data gathered during MEDCo´s recent project monitoring visit to Super Region projects in Mindanao show that that the Php 309.5-million Dapitan-Dakak road project is now 72.8 per cent complete.

As of April this year, around 92.6 percent of the Php478.05-million worth of improvement projects committed for the Dipolog Airport has also been implemented.

Both projects are expected to be completed by the end of the year.

"The completion of this infrastructure will significantly improve the tourism in the province and will make the tourist destinations more accessible," said Atty.

Allan Ranillo, Zamboanga del Norte Regional Tourism Council Chairman.

He added that with the opening of the said road project, stakeholders will expect a surge in tourism activities particularly with the opening up of more tourism establishments and investments in the putting up of beach resorts.

James Eldridge Adraincem, Regional Director of the Department of Tourism (DOT) said that the completion of the road project will add on to the region´s booming tourism industry, noting that tourist arrivals have increased from the average number of 4,000 from 2004-2007 to 60,000, or almost 200 percent, in 2008.

Famous for the world-class Dakak beach resort and the 16-hectare Jose Rizal Shrine, the region now adds the recently-inaugurated Gloria´s Fantasyland, Mindanao´s first theme park and second largest in the entire country, to its roster of must-visit tourist locations.

Also located in the region is the 138-year old St. James Church and the entertainment center called Gloria de Dapitan, which features the region´s own version of Sunset Boulevard.

"The completion of these critical infrastructure projects in Zamboanga del Norte is seen to provide greater accessibility and connectivity of the region with the rest of Mindanao. It will also boost its tourism potentials, especially with the rich cultural heritage of this region," said Usec. Virgilio L. Leyretana, Sr, Chair of the Mindanao Economic Development Council (MEDCO) and Deputy Development Champion for the Mindanao Super Region (MSR).

Four of the seven segments of the Dapitan-Dakak Road Project are now complete with three segments underway. The completed segments are the Php30-million Bagting-Talisay Section, the Php20-million Talisay-Sto. Niño Section, the Php50 Million Taguilon-Dakak Section Phase1 and Php20 Million Phase 3.

Engr. Veronico Micarandayo, Assistant District Engineer of DPWH-3rd Engineering District in Dapitan, said that the department committed to finish the project by December 2009. However, he said that the project needs an additional Php58 million to undertake the gaps along the road sections.

Meanwhile, out of the 10 improvement projects for the Dipolog Airport, five are now completed and one project is ongoing, while the remaining four projects still at the preconstruction stage. The ongoing project involves the extension of runway, construction of perimeter fence and continuation of shore protection.

Erlinda Delos Reyes, Dipolog Airport Manager said that the ongoing shore protection should be completed as soon as possible to prevent outsiders as well as stray animals from entering the airport perimeter.

The Dapitan-Dakak Road and Dipolog Airport Development Projects are among the 38 projects under the Mindanao Super Region. Nine out of the 38 MSR projects have been completed so far.

These include the Php11.285-billion 210-MW Mindanao Clean Coal-fired Power Plant in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental, the Php218-million 950 KV Photovoltaic Power Plant in Cagayan de Oro, the Php2.1-billion Diosdado Macapagal Bridge in Butuan City, the Php984.121-million Manay-Mati Road Section of the Surigao-Davao Coastal Road, the Php90 Million Hawilian-Salug-Sinakungan Road of Agusan del Sur, the Php 453.04-million Davao port development project, the Php 608.06-million Cagayan de Oro port development project, the Php74.82 Million Balbagon Port Improvement Project in Camiguin, Mambajao and the Php 2.616-billion flood control component of the Lower Agusan Development Project in Butuan City, as well as the completion of 13 out of 15 hospital upgrading projects.

Ongoing MSR projects include 2 provincial hospital upgrading projects, 7 national roads construction projects, 8 airport development projects, and 2 irrigation projects.

Of the total Php 88.19 billion worth of MSR projects, 55.39 percent or Php48.85 billion funds have been released.

MEDCo takes the lead in the Mindanao Super Region Inter-Agency Task Force, which is tasked to consolidate the updates of the various Mindanao Super Region projects and lobby for the fast-tracking of these projects.

Under the Super Region strategy, Mindanao's strong potential to become the country's agribusiness center is being developed and harnessed through major infrastructure support. MEDCo

PHOTO: DAPITAN-DAKAK ROAD. A portion of the Php50 Million Taguilon-Dakak Section of the Php 309.5-million Dapitan-Dakak Road project under the Mindanao Super Region is set for completion by December 2009. The completion of the said road project, which leads to the famous Dakak Resort in Dapitan, is seen to boost tourism activities in the region. Also shown here (inset) is photo of the said section taken last May 2008. MEDCo