Key infrastructure for tourism set: Baguio City gets P40 million DPWH projects

By Kristel Marzan

BAGUIO CITY — Improving road infrastructure leading to key tourism destinations is a priority thrust of the Department of Tourism in line with the government’s goal of bringing in 10 million foreign tourists in the country by 2016.

DOT Cordillera Regional Director Pura Molintas, in a media forum April 1, reported that in 2012 P197 million from the P5 billion savings of the national government, was allocated for tourism road projects in Baguio-Benguet area which were implemented in convergence with the Department of Public Works and Highways.

For this year, Molintas disclosed that P40 million was allocated for tourism road projects in Baguio, of which P30 million will go to a road improvement project at the Greenwater Village at the back of Camp John Hay while the P10 millions will be used for road projects leading to Burnham Park, the city’s premier park.

Molintas explained that of the 10 million, P3.5 million will be utilized to ease the bottleneck area at Governor Pack Road in front of Baguio City National High School, and the P6.5million is for the local roads along the park itself.

Aside from road improvement projects, the DOT-DPWH convergence will also allot funds for road sidewalks to also promote walking tours in the city.

For other road infrastructure projects leading to other key tourism destinations in the Cordillera, Molintas reported that the Regional Technical Working Group (TWG), with the endorsement of the private sector and local government units, had already submitted nine road lines to the national committee for tourism road improvement project for funding.

Meantime, Molintas also disclosed that in partnership with the Department of Transportation and Communication and as outlined in the National Tourism Development Plan, they are also pushing for improvement of identified priority airports and seaports which will help attract more tourists in the different key tourism destinations here in the country.

Aside from improving the quality of experience for foreign tourists through good roads and internationally competitive airports and seaports, Molintas also stressed that they are also pushing for the improvement of tour packages and the development of business to business partnership here and abroad.