ILOILO – Senatorial aspirant and former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) secretary Mark Villar vowed to push for the continuation and completion of the 41.80-kilometer Panay East-West Lateral Road Project.
“We will continue to support and ensure the consistent effort of DPWH in this project and will guarantee its timely completion as planned. The accomplishment of key projects only proves that the Build, Build, Build program is significant in improving the accessibility of road networks in Western Visayas while at the same time providing jobs amid the pandemic,” Villar said.
The Panay East-West Lateral road project has a budget of P2.6 billion. It will be a 20-meter-wide road which consists of bridges and slope protection.
When completed, it will cut the two-and-a-half-hour travel time from Central Iloilo to Antique and vice versa to just two hours and would benefit approximately 300 motorists every day.
“This project is seen to boost agri-eco tourism, given that it will connect the municipalities it traverses. The transport of goods will be easier. With improved transportation access to other municipalities and villages, there are more opportunities to market agricultural products in the provinces of Antique and Iloilo,” Villar added.
The project is part of DPWH’s multi-year program which includes road openings along the Bugasong-Valderrama Road Section in Antique and Lambunao-Inca Road Section in Iloilo.
Aside from cutting down travel time, the Panay East-West Lateral Road is designed to boost tourism and improve agricultural productivity in certain communities in the region.
“My advocacy is to ensure the completion of projects like this. Patuloy lang ang pagsasagawa natin ng mga proyektong makakatulong na makakapagpalago ng ekonomiya at turismo ng bansa,” Villar said./PN
