The Regional Development Council 2 – Regional Project Monitoring Committee (RDC2-RPMC) Project Monitoring Team (PMT) conducted a three-day field monitoring visit to selected major infrastructure projects in the province of Cagayan on August 9-11, 2023.

These projects include Camalaniugan Bridge, Amulung Bridge, Itawes Bridge, Pinacanauan Bridge, Tuguegarao West Diversion Road, and Chico River Pump Irrigation Project.

The PHP 2.4 billion Camalaniugan Bridge Project is implemented through a joint venture between Agafer Construction (a local construction firm) and Hunan Road and Bridge Construction Group (HNRB) (a China-based construction company) through a design-and-build scheme. The bridge, a 1,580 linear meter, two-lane bridge, will connect the municipalities of Aparri and Camalaniugan in Cagayan and is targeted for completion by the end of 2024. It is now 67.5 percent completed at the time of the visit.

The PHP 1.1 billion Amulung Bridge Project, a 901 linear meter, two-lane bridge, will connect the town of Amulung to other southern municipalities of Cagayan. The project was temporarily suspended due to flooding caused by Typhoon Egay in July 2023. The contractor has requested a one-month Contract Time Extension and prepared a catch-up plan which will complete the project by the end of 2024. A completion rate of 57.88 percent was reported during the visit.

The PHP 738 million Itawes Bridge Project is a 586 linear meter, two-lane concrete bridge traversing the Chico River between the municipalities of Tuao and Piat in Cagayan. The bridge is 11.62 percent complete and its target completion by the end of 2024 may be delayed due to lack of budgetary requirements for FY 2024. The DPWH committed to resolve the funding issue during the project visit.

The PHP 1.7 billion Pinacanauan Bridge 2, a 53 linear meter, two-lane all-weather bridge, is 7.57 percent complete. Its 2024 budgetary requirement is included in the NEP. If this annual allocation continues, the bridge will be completed by the end of 2028.

The PHP 2.5 billion Tuguegarao West Diversion Road Project is expected to be completed in 2026. It is a four-lane concrete road with a total length of 8.6 kilometers, connecting the barangays of Carig and Bagay of Tuguegarao City. The project is 35.11 percent complete.

These bridge and road projects presently implemented in Cagayan will provide a seamless transport infrastructure network in the province and will provide cost-efficient movement of agricultural and commercial goods and access to geographically isolated and vulnerable areas.

The PMT also visited the Chico River Pump Irrigation Project (CRPIP) in Tuao, Cagayan. It has a project cost of PHP 4.497 billion. To date, the irrigation system is partially operational due to the shortage of power requirement. For this, the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) is currently coordinating with the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) to resolve the power shortage, so that the CRPIP will be fully operational by the end of 2023.

The recommendations from the PMT to hasten project implementation were discussed and agreed upon during the closing meeting after each project visit. General recommendations include negotiations to resolve RROW issues, lobbying for possible funding, and coordination with concerned contractors regarding unfinished activities.

The project visit was led by the NRO2-Project Monitoring and Evaluation Division, with representatives from the Presidential Management Staff (PMS), Philippine Information Agency (PIA), and Department of Budget and Management (DBM). #AMabatan, NEDA-PMED