P80 M needed for Kalinga public transport terminal

TABUK CITY, Kalinga – The Cordillera Regional Development Council here urged the Department of Interior and Local Government to facilitate the grant of at least P80 million from public and private institutions to finance the construction of the city’s first-ever integrated transport terminal and trading post to boost economic growth in the province.

The project is proposed to be undertaken through the Philippine Urban Sector Services Project which has been implemented by the DILG in local governments in Mindanao over the past years and has proven to be an effective intervention in enhancing local government financial, technical and managerial capabilities to plan, provide and manage basic urban infrastructure and other essential services.

The RDC said the project will be undertaken through a private-public partnership where two schemes are being considered, a joint venture and a Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) scheme.

Earlier, the city government proposed to implement an integrated transport terminal and trading post to reinforce its vital role as a transport and food basket hub of the whole province and the Cordillera in general.

However, the absence of sufficient funding has deterred the local government from pursuing the plan which is aimed at increasing employment opportunities for the people and giving access to quality produce as well as improving the transportation to and from the province in the coming years.

Based on initial estimates, total funding requirement for the project is P78.4 million.
The city government will finance the land acquisition, offsite development and backfilling required to make the property attractive for the benefit of prospective financiers.

The RDC said P34.4 million must be financed through the public-private partnership while the remaining P44.1 million will be provided by the private proponent.

Section 16 of the Local Government Code empowers, among others, local government units to exercise the powers necessary, appropriate or incidental, for its efficient and effective governance and those essential to the promotion of general welfare. – Dexter A. See