Saudi-funded Maguindanao road to be constructed

From the Philippine Star (Nov 12): Saudi-funded Maguindanao road to be constructed

 The government will start constructing in December, with the help of Saudi Arabia, a 14-kilometer “peace diversion artery” as an alternate route connecting the city to the southern side of Maguindanao province. The Saudi Fund for Development has earmarked P709.3 million for the project, which would include three long bridges that would interconnect riverside villages the diversion road is to traverse. Peace activists here, among them senior officials of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), said the assistance from Saudi Arabia was committed several years ago in support of Malacañang’s Southern Mindanao peace process. Representatives of the Department of Public Works and Highways, led by Maguindanao First District Rep. Sandra Sema, inspected on Saturday portions of the proposed route. The project will connect a strategic stretch of the Cotabato-Gen. Santos Highway in Barangay Daiwan in Datu Odin Sinsuat town to Cotabato City. Sema said sectors in her district are grateful to Saudi Arabia, to President Aquino and to Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson for having downloaded the road construction package to the central office of the Department of Public Works and Highways, which will implement the project. Saudi Arabia is a member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), a bloc of more than 50 Muslim countries, which helped broker the September 2, 1996 peace accord between the MNLF and the national government. The OIC has also been helping push forward the government’s separate peace overture with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Sema said the Saudi-assisted road project complements the peace and development initiatives of her office for the city and the 11 towns in the first district of Maguindanao that are funded out of her Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF). “We in the first district of Maguindanao are very grateful to the Saudi Development Fund,” Sema said. The Saudi Development Fund has also reportedly earmarked P421.6 million for the Lake Lanao circumferential road connecting Marawi City to Bayang, Lanao del Sur; and P420.3 million for the road connecting Bayang to Ganassi, in the same province. The Arab donor also allocated P414.9 million for the concreting of the Basilan circumferential, connecting Tumahubong area to Isabela City; and P415.2 million more for the Sumisip-Isabela City route in the island province. The P709.3-million peace diversion route here will cut the travel time from the town center of Datu Odin Sinsuat to Cotabato City by about 30 minutes, according to engineers from the DPWH.

http://m.philstar.com/314190/show/3727b65c6e8f9bd9b7b1aa0d17450a27&t=0m9h5tcdaap4ni6ksgdckujtu5