CAGAYAN de Oro City—The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the World Bank will start construction in 2027 on a 550-kilometer road network in Mindanao, co-financed by a P37-billion investment to boost transport connectivity and safety in rural and agricultural regions.
The Mindanao Transport Connectivity Improvement Project (MTCIP), which will upgrade the 422-kilometer Cagayan de Oro–Davao–General Santos corridor and rehabilitate three key agricultural link roads totaling 128 kilometers, is a major initiative under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration, designed to ensure alignment with local government units (LGUs) and local priorities.
The financing includes P25.46 billion from the World Bank and P11.54 billion from the Philippine government.
The DPWH held the first Project Steering Committee (PSC) meeting for the MTCIP on Oct. 10, 2025, in Cagayan de Oro City. DPWH Senior Undersecretary and PSC Chairperson Emil Sadain said the overwhelming support from LGUs ensures the project would be felt “where it matters most: in communities.”
The project’s construction is scheduled to begin in 2027, following a 22-month design phase set to start in January 2026. A five-year maintenance program will follow the project’s completion. The MTCIP will cover Northern Mindanao, the Davao Region and Central Mindanao.
The steering committee, formally created by DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon’s Special Order No. 167, is tasked with overseeing strategic implementation and coordination.
Committee members include representatives from the Department of Finance, the Department of Economy, Planning and Development, the Department of Budget and Management, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Mindanao Development Authority and local chief executives from several cities and provinces. The World Bank was represented by Senior Transport Specialist and Co-Task Team Leader John Kobina Richardson.
The road rehabilitation includes the Sayre Highway (Patulungan)–Cawayan–Kibenton Road (25.03 km), Fatima–Malabog–Saloy–Panabo City Road (59.40 km), and Poblacion–Malungon–Sta. Maria Road (44.03 km).
The MTCIP also incorporates an Integrity Management Plan to strengthen road sector management through capacity building, climate resilience and digital mapping in Mindanao, along with a contingency component for emergency response.
