ILOILO – Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. wishes to hear the administration’s infrastructure programs for the province when President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers his second State of the Nation Address (SONA).
Defensor has been invited to the July 24 SONA. The province is a recipient of flagship infrastructure projects – the Iloilo-Capiz Aklan Expressway (ICAEx), the proposed revival of the Panay Railway System, and the expansion of the passenger terminal of the Iloilo Airport in Cabatuan.
“We are good because ang aton ICAEx ara sa top 10 priority sang administration. That is very important to us, ang extension sang aton terminal sa Iloilo Airport, kag ang aton Panay Railway nga ara man sa plano sang aton administration,” said Defensor.
Last week, the governor expressed excitement for the ICAEx, which would give the province better connectivity.
“We are lagging behind the whole world, so amo na gusto naton, ma-plano ang transport system,” he said.
Recently, during a courtesy visit by Excellency Luc Veron, Ambassador of the European Union to the Philippines, and Brian McCrohan of the Embassy of Ireland, Defensor opened this up for possible investors from member states of the European Union.
“This expressway, ang direction is PPP [public-private partnership], it has to be a partnership in the private sector in terms of capital, basi may interested bala. I know that is a long shot, maayo gid nga ginasugilanonan,” Defensor said.
In August 2022, officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways – Public-Private Partnership Service, led by director Alex G. Bote, presented the proposed project to the governor.
Bote said the project is included in the list of priority projects proposed for implementation through PPP in accordance with Republic Act No. 7718 (Build-Operate-and-Transfer [BOT] Law).
ICAEx has the following project objectives:
* reduce travel time between the provinces of Iloilo, Capiz, and Aklan
* eliminate congestion in existing highways by avoiding choke points in poblacion areas
* enhance logistics network to ease delivery of goods from source to destination
* improve the delivery of emergency response in times of flooding as an effect of inclement weather
* provide tourism development opportunities for various tourist attractions in Panay
National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Region 6 director Arecio A. Casing, Jr. said a feasibility study is being conducted by the Department of Public Works and Highways on the proposed ICAEx. The study is expected to be completed in early 2024 or after two years./PN
