Good news for residents and tourists in the island of Mindoro! Its two provinces – Oriental Mindoro and Occidental Mindoro – will soon be connected through a mountain road that would cut the travel time by more than 60 percent.
The Mindoro Island Circumferential Road that traverses from the coastal through the mountainous areas of Oriental and Occidental Mindoro will greatly reduce travel time from Calapan City (capital of Oriental Mindoro) to Mamburao (capital of Occidental Mindoro) from six (6) hours to just two (2) hours.
The new Mindoro Island Circumferential Road, also known as Puerto Galera-Abra de Ilog Road, was reported on January 22 by the Department of Public Works and Highways to be more than halfway complete.
The mountain road has a combined length of 18.2 kilometers traversing the northern part of Puerto Galera (Talipanan Section) with 2.9 kilometers in Oriental Mindoro side and Abra de Ilog (Camurong Section) with 15.2 kilometers in Occidental Mindoro.
The Mindoro Circumferential Road Project, which began in 2014, is also provided with provisions of slope protection, drainage, lined canals and road safety requirements.
DPWH reports that the completion of the project will provide better access to both provinces and will also pave the way for the socio- economic development projects and programs of the Provinces of Oriental and Occidental Mindoro with a significant impact of alleviating poverty in the influence areas.
“The road will surely generate jobs that will provide means of livelihood and access to basic services such as schools, hospitals and markets will also be easier,” said DPWH Regional Director Wilfredo Mallari.
In addition, the tourism industry that is flourishing in the oriental side such as in Puerto Gallera is expected to spill over to Occidental Mindoro when the new highway opens.
Oriental Mindoro is one of the Philippines’ dive spots being pushed to the forefront of the global diving industry. In fact, Puerto Galera waters hosted the French and Swiss dive teams during the 2019 Objectif Atlantide Underwater Investigation.
SEND CHEERS in the comments below to the people of Mindoro as they look forward to faster travel time between the two provinces of the island!
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