A BILL that seeks to establish a national program for rural roads to boost countryside development has been filed at the House of Representatives.
House Bill No. 10508 by Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez will provide funding for the construction of “local economic roads” in underdeveloped areas. It mandates the Department of Public Works and Highways to prioritize rural roads.
Under the bill, the DPWH will get at least P175 billion annually in the next four years to fund the construction of rural roads.
“The establishment and implementation of the program will ensure seamless connection of provincial, municipal and city roads with the national highways that support trade, tourism and agricultural activities,” Mr. Rodriguez said in the bill’s explanatory note. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio
