The Public Works Department said it allocated P30.9 billion to fund the tourism road infrastructure program.
Constante Llanes Jr., the agency’s planning service director, said 1,688 kilometers of tourism roads divided into 677 projects across 16 regions would be built under the 2018 TRIP budget amounting to P30.9 billion.
Llanes said that as a part of the 0+10-point economic agenda of the government, the department would continue to build projects to promote rural and value chain development toward increasing agricultural and rural enterprise productivity and rural tourism.
Among the high-impact tourism road projects in the 2018 program are access roads leading to Mapita Tribal Community in Pangasinan; New Clark City; Callao Caves in Tuguegarao City; Buscalan in Kalinga which is also known as the home of the last mambabatok, Apo Whang Od; Seven Cities in Iloilo; and La Paz, Zamboanga City.
Other tourism infrastructure projects are roads in Dahilayan Adventure Park in Bukidnon; Asik-Asik Falls, North Cotabato; and Surigao del Sur leading to the world-famous Hinatuan Enchanted River; and circumferential roads in Taal, Batangas; San Jose, Romblon; and Island Garden City of Samal in Davao del Norte.
Coastal Roads leading to nature and marine reserves in Pasacao-Balatan in Camarines Sur; Gilutongan and Nalusuan Marine Sanctuary in Cebu; and Canopy Forest in Eastern Samar are also part of the priority projects of TRIP.
The agency said that over the last five years, the DPWH–DOT convergence program successfully completed over 1,500 tourism roads nationwide.