GENERAL SANTOS CITY – Public Works and Highways Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane said President Arroyo has ordered the release of P200 million to finish the Palimbang-Kalamansig Road – the missing link of the Mindanao Road Network.

Ebdane said the President wants the construction of the coastal stretch from Palimbang to Kalamansig towns be completed before her term ends in July next year to complete the Mindanao Road Network.

The road network starts in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur and goes around the southern island and ends in Cotabato City via Maitum, Sarangani and Palimbang-Kalamansig to Upi, Maguindanao, the missing link of the highway.

Mayor Labualas Mamansual of Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat said Ebdane told him that the P200 million
project would be an all-weather road linking Palimbang and Kalamansig on a 95-kilometer road span.

Ebdane told Mamansual that the project includes construction of some concrete bridges and an all-weather road to link up the two towns, which since time immemorial do not have a road or even a trail due to mountainous terrain and lack of bridges.

He said the P200-million fund is now with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Central Office in Manila and would be released to the Region 12 office of the DPWH under by Director Sinaulan Macarambon to implement the project.

“The regional DPWH for Central Mindanao under director Macarambon will implement the road construction either by administration or private contractor rather than the Philippine Army’s Engineering Brigade, which started the work, to hasten its completion,” Ebdane said.

In 2003, the Philippine Army’s engineering brigade opened the road construction for the Palimbang- Kalamansig stretch but the road deteriorated due to absence of bridges and unstable peace and order situation.