LAOAG CITY, Philippines (PIA) — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is ensuring better road networks in the province, having in mind Ilocos Norte’s expanding tourism and economic growth centers.

Veniedo Reyes, DPWH regional director, said the agency has started implementing road improvement projects in the towns of Burgos, Bangui and Pagudpud using the pavement management system or highway development and management (HDM 4) system.

The project includes rehabilitation, reconstruction and upgrading of damaged national roads traversing the three towns.

Reyes recently inspected the road projects to determine how many roads have been completed since Aug. 11 in terms of asphalt overlay, road widening and installation of reflective thermoplastic pavement marking.

Based on the DPWH’s work schedule, Pagudpud’s road development project amounting to P54.3 million and stretching to more than five kilometers will be completed by January next year.

The Bangui project, amounting to P88.7 million, also stretching to five kilometers, is set for completion by February while the Burgos project, consisting of more than P115 million of road network comprising 11.4 kilometers will be completed by August.

The DPWH has already finished some 21.8 kilometers of road improvement along the Manila North Road passing the towns of Bacarra, Pasuquin, Burgos and Bangui costing P209.3 million.

Road improvements are likewise implemented in Ilocos Norte’s southern towns traversing Badoc, Pinili, Currimao, Batac and Paoay.

Meanwhile in Legazpi City, the DPWH regional office reported that the agency was able to generate a savings of more than P130 million in the implementation of its 2011 infrastructure projects in Bicol.

DPWH regional director Danilo E. Dequito said the savings were generated from the more than P4.044 billion released to the region as of the end of September for this year’s regular infrastructure program.

He said the savings were generated as a result of competitive and transparent bidding of all the 160 projects for implementation by the regional and the 15 DPWH districts engineering offices in the six provinces of Bicol.

Dequito said the competitive bidding was one of the major policy reforms of DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson, in line with the “Tuwid na Daan” policy of the Aquino administration.

He added that because of the greater transparency in the bidding process, the cost of the projects went down by 4.23 percent.

Dequito said that P80.925 million of the savings was generated by the regional office while P49.836 million was saved by the district offices.