CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Central Luzon’s Regional Development Council (RDC) has approved the construction of the P9.5-billion Dalton Pass Eastern Alignment Project traversing the mountainous areas of Nueva Vizcaya and Nueva Ecija.
“The construction of an alternative route is imperative to support agricultural, industrial, and tourism growth and exchange among the provinces in Cagayan Valley, Cordillera and Central Luzon,” said National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Regional Director and RDC Vice Chairman Severino Santos.
He noted that the existing road linking these areas are often cut off by landslides during the rainy season.
The P9.5-billion project would span 60.45 kilometers and would be funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
Santos said that once completed, the project would accommodate Dalton Pass vehicle movement to 20,000 per day from the current 7,500.
The RDC is the highest policy-making body in the country’s regions and serve as the counterpart of the NEDA Board at the subnational level. It is the primary institution that “coordinates and sets the direction of all economic and social development efforts in the regions and serve as a forum where local efforts can be related and integrated with national development activities.”
RDC members include governors, city mayors, municipal mayors of capital towns, presidents of municipal mayors’ league, regional directors of national government agencies and representatives from the private sector.
