THE PROVINCIAL government of Davao Oriental has set up a five-year P2.1-billion road network development plan covering 129.6 kilometers and aimed at providing access both to farm products as well as tourism sites. The provincial government said it will tap the national government as among the sources of the funding, including the Department of Interior and Local Government through its conditional matching grant for provinces for road rehabilitation and improvement. The provincial government also said the plan, as already approved by the Provincial Development Council, will have 16 road sections and is part of the Provincial Development Physical Framework Plan 2018-2022. The project also serves as a civic component of counter-insurgency efforts. The province has been among the few deemed by the military as peace and development areas. Governor Nelson L. Dayanghirang said his goal is to increase farm production by about 10% during the period covered by the framework. The total farming area is 97% of its alienable and disposable land, based on the Philippine Statistics Authority data. The project is also aimed at boosting the provincial government’s program of promoting the province’s about 200 tourist attractions and improving on last year’s estimated 700,000 tourist arrivals. — Carmelito Q. Francisco
