CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga - The Department of Public Works and Highways in Central Luzon (DPWH-3) said on Friday it will implement a total of 2,214 infrastructure projects this year. DPWH-3 Regional Director Roseller A. Tolentino said some PHP70.77 billion was allocated for the implementation of various projects in the region under Republic Act (RA) No. 11639, the "General Appropriations Act (GAA) for Fiscal Year 2022". "The DPWH Regional Office and our 14 District Engineering Offices will continue to implement various projects under the asset and network development programs of the agency that include road openings and off-carriageway improvements," Tolentino said in a social media post. He cited as an example the DPWH office in Cabanatuan City which received a total of PHP532.76 million for the rehabilitation and improvement of the Nueva Ecija sections of the Jose Abad Santos Avenue (JASA) and Sta. Rosa-Tarlac road. Aside from the usual agency projects included under the bridge, flood management, and convergence programs, he said that several foreign-assisted projects were given funding to ensure their continued implementation. "Big-ticket projects in the region that are foreign-funded or those aided by loans or grants like the Central Luzon Link Expressway - Phase I, Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge Project, and the Capas-Botolan Road Project were also infused with fresh funds," Tolentino said. Based on the data from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the DPWH earmarked PHP36.2 billion for the implementation of projects included in the agency's Convergence and Special Support Program, of which PHP23.4 billion was allotted for the construction of various structures in Central Luzon under the Sustainable Infrastructure Projects Alleviating Gaps (SIPAG) program. "Admittedly, there is an urgent need to bridge infrastructure gaps in the region. DPWH believes that the development of Central Luzon's current economic infrastructure can be attained through the delivery of the much-needed projects that we are set to implement," Tolentino said. The much-need projects, he said are road projects leading to major strategic facilities, flood mitigation projects that will protect public structures, and other multipurpose facilities that can support the government's provision of social services that at the same time help generate economic growth. Tolentino said DPWH-3 also received PHP8.83 billion for the construction of new evacuation centers, public health facilities, improvement of the public water supply system, roads leading to railways, seaports, tourism destinations, and industrial zones. Likewise, he said a total of PHP957.51 million will be used in modernizing military facilities across the region. In a span of five years, the Duterte administration has implemented over 15,000 infrastructure projects in Central Luzon as part of its mission to propel countryside development. Since 2016, the DPWH has completed the construction, maintenance, widening, upgrading, and rehabilitation of a total of 2,438 kilometers of road and 489 national bridges. Likewise, a total of 13,219 classrooms were built while 1,617 flood mitigation structures were completed. On the other hand, a total of 23 evacuation centers were constructed to provide livable temporary shelters for residents and minimize the use of school buildings during typhoons and other natural calamities. Under the "Build, Build, Build" program, notable projects included the Plaridel Bypass, Pulilan-Baliuag Diversion Road, Subic Freeport Expressway, New Clark City Phase 1, Clark International Airport new terminal building, and Central Luzon Link Expressway Phase 1, all seen to pave the way for the desired economic growth of the region. (PNA) }