TUBOD, Lanao del Norte – The Metro Iligan Infrastructure Development Project (MIRIDP), the construction of almost 54 kilometers highway road from the towns of Fatima, Tagoloan, Baloi, Linamon,  Kauswagan and Munai, is near to completion or about 94 percent of the work was finished.

This is the project of Lanao del Norte provincial government though its budget is funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) with a counterpart of the provincial government through a sub-loan of the Municipal Development Fund Office (MDFO).  The Hanjin construction company is in charge for the construction of the project which is divided into three phases that include Phase 1, the area is comprised of Fatima, Tagoloan and Baloi section; Phase II, the area is composed of  Linamon, Matungao, Baloi section; and Phase III, the area is comprised of Kauswagan, Delabayan and Munai section.

The project is to provide an off-site infrastructure support to the establishment of the Metro Iligan Regional Agro-Industrial Center (MIRAIC), an agri-industrial plant or an industrial estate identified to be the Cagayan-Iligan Corridor Area Development Zone. If the construction of the road is finished, MIRIDP is expected to trigger opening up of rich agricultural lands adjacent to MIRAIC which means more agricultural resources for increased productivity.

There are parts of the finished work which need cleaning like cleaning the canals, ditches, and minor repair of damages caused by the heavy downpour  two weeks ago resulting to landslide in the area.

The representatives from JICA, Hanjin and Lanao del Norte provincial government made an onsite visit to Phase 3 located in Kauswagan, Delabayan and Munai where there are three kilometers still to be completed, the remaining construction work to be finished.

Flery Chan, senior program officer of JICA based in Manila, discussed with the representatives of the agencies involved for the project to facilitate the completion of the three kilometers to finish it.  

The inspection team was composed of Flery Chan, senior project officer-JICA; Engr. Dennis Aguipo MIRIDP-PMO- project director;  Engr. Juliet Amas , MIRIDP acting project director; and atty. Jonathan Puno, provincial legal officer.

JICA team is schedule for another site visit on October to check if the minor repairs and works are done.

The completion of MIRIDP will attain sustainable economic development in Lanao del Norte.

The representatives who visited the project were assisted by Ruth Rudinas, MIRIDP staff;  Adela Ancheta, MIRIDP staff; and Marilyn Ballesteros, MIRIDP engineer .