The Regional Development Council (RDC) VIII-Executive Committee (ExCom) endorsed seven  major infrastructure projects during its meeting held on July 23   at the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Multipurpose Hall.

The projects endorsed were the following: (a) project on Storm Surge Protection: Road Heightening and Tide Embankment for Tacloban-Palo-Tanauan, Leyte; (b) Construction/Improvement/Rehabilitation of Hilongos-Mahaplag Road; (c) Port Zone Delineation of the Port of Padre Burgos, Southern Leyte; (d) Port Zone Delineation of the Port of Manguino-o, Calbayog City; (e) Baybay City Reclamation Project, Phase III; (f) various infrastructure projects of Baybay City; and (g) Water Supply Project  for Northern Barangays of Tacloban City.

RDC VIII Private Sector Representative (PSR) and Infrastructure and Utilities Development Committee Co-Chairperson Tiburcio A. Morales, Jr., explained the benefits of the projects and their importance in ensuring the protection of people during calamities.

The Road Heightening and Embankment Project will protect the Tacloban City-Palo-Tanauan, Leyte Province areas from future calamities/storm surges. The construction/rehabilitation of the Hilongos-Mahaplag road is intended to provide an alternate route if the two primary roads, namely: Daang Maharlika and Tacloban Baybay South Road will be closed to traffic due to landslide and road slips during calamities.

The Baybay City Reclamation Project will  provide more space for investment locators and shall address the decongestion problem in the city’s central business district and routes  of the project area’s vicinity.

Meanwhile, the Port Zone Delineation of Padre Burgos and Manguino-o ports will facilitate the provision of appropriate port facilities to accommodate the projected increase in port traffic, support the demand in the shipping trade and attract maritime investors.

Finally, the Water Supply Project for northern barangays of Tacloban City will provide clean and potable water supply to Yolanda-affected families in the resettlement areas.

The ExCom also passed resolutions requesting the DBM for funding  the rehabilitation of the DTI  Regional Office VIII building and requesting the DPWH to fund the feasibility studies for the Jaro-Ormoc road and the Palo-Tanauan-Tolosa-Dulag-Mayorga climate change adaptive road proposed by the RDC VIII Chairperson and Leyte Governor Hon. Leopoldo Dominico L. Petilla.

The ExCom is a committee of the RDC composed of the officials of the RDC and its sectoral committees, governors, city mayors, and Presidents of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines-EV Chapter. The Committee also acts on matters that require immediate attention for and on behalf of the RDC when it is not in session.