MANILA, Philippines – TINATAYANG 19 milyong Filipino ang inaasahang makikinabang mula sa dalawang bagong proyekto na inaprubahan ng Board of Executive Directors ng World Bank (WB).
Layunin nito na ayusin at paghusayin ang transport connectivity at health services sa Mindanao at low-capacity provinces sa iba’t ibang dako ng bansa.
Sinabi ni Zafer Mustafaoğlu, country director para sa Pilipinas, Malaysia, at Brunei Darussalam na committed ang World Bank na suportahan ang Pilipinas sa paglaklakbay nito tungo sa ‘inclusive growth’ at hangarin nito na maging isang ‘upper middle-income country.’
“Initiatives that enhance transport connectivity and boost health services in low-capacity regions, particularly in Mindanao, can address regional disparities while enhancing the quality of life for many Filipinos,” ang sinabi ni Mustafaoğlu sa isang news release.
Ang USD454.94 million (P26 bilyong piso) Mindanao Transport Connectivity Improvement Project ay mapakikinabangan ng 1.16 milyong residente sa kahabaan ng mga pangunahing road corridor sa Cagayan de Oro, Davao, at General Santos sa pamamagitan ng pagkakaloob ng pinahusay na access sa sustainable transport infrastructure at serbisyo.
“Better rural roads reduce transportation costs and product losses for poor farmers, significantly contributing to poverty reduction,” ang nakasaad sa news release.
Para naman kay World Bank senior transport specialist Pratap Tvgssshrk, ang pagpapanatili ng ‘growth and poverty reduction in Mindanao’ ay nangangailangan na gawing mas produktibo ang agrikultura partikular na ang mga smallholder farmers.
“Connecting rural and remote areas to urban centers where there is demand for farm produce is a key intervention to support growth in the agricultural sector,” aniya pa rin.
Sakop naman ng Mindanao Transport Connectivity Improvement Project ang rehabilitasyon at pag-upgrade sa 428.2-kilometer main road corridor na nag-uugnay sa tatlong pangunahing lungsod, ang host ng mga pangunahing daungan at paliparan sa Mindanao.
Ang road network ay binubuo ng apat na highway —Sayre Highway, Bukidnon-Davao Highway, Digos-Makar Highway, at Davao-Cotabato Road— tawiran ng anim na lalawigan, 14 munisipalidad, 7 lungsod at 168 barangay.
Idagdag pa rito, susuportahan ng proyekto ang pag-upgrade sa tatlong lokal na daanan na kumokonekta sa Cagayan de Oro–Davao –General Santos corridor, may kabuuang distansiya na of 129.86 kilometers.
Sa kabilang dako, susuportahan naman ng USD495.6-million (P26.3 billion) Philippines Health System Resilience Project ang pagsisikap ng gobyerno na pataasin ang climate-resilient healthcare networks, paghusayin ang manggagawa at pamamahala at i-promote high-quality health services sa provincial level.
“It will also invest in disease surveillance, public health laboratories, and emergency response systems,” ayon sa ulat.
Prayoridad ng proyektong ito ang 17 lalawigan na may mababang healthcare access capacity, mapakikinabangan ng 17.9 milyong katao kabilang na iyong nasa ‘geographically isolated at disadvantaged areas.’ May 11 lalawigan ang nasa Mindanao.
“The health sector in the Philippines significantly depends on the efforts of local government units (LGUs) to provide essential services. However, many LGUs face challenges due to limited resources and capacity. This project is vital as it aims to empower these low-capacity LGUs to deliver high-quality health services, thereby driving socioeconomic progress through improved health outcomes for Filipinos,” ang sinabi naman ni World Bank senior economist Wei Han.
Suportado rin ng proyekto ang ‘digital transformation, institutional strengthening, at capacity-building’ kapuwa sa national at local levels’ para sa epektibong implementasyon. Kris Jose
