Negros infra to spur growth

The Bacolod-Silay International Airport is the gateway to the most populous city in Western Visayas.

Bacolod City, newly minted as the country’s most livable urban center, shifts its focus on infrastructure.

Over P1.6 billion worth of infrastructure projects are underway. Topping the list is the construction of the Magsaysay-Araneta flyover to address the traffic congestion in Bacolod City. The city government has earmarked P400 million for the construction of the flyover.

Bacolod City Rep. Greg Gasataya said that for the remaining quarters of 2017, construction will continue in the highly urbanized city that is the capital of Negros Occidental.

“For the coming years, more improvements and projects will be implemented in Bacolod,” he said. The city government will focus on road repairs, drainage programs, construction of economic highways and flyovers.

Seen as the one of the more popular tourist destinations, Bacolod City continues to reinvent itself and find more ways to bring comfort to the visitors and residents of the City.

The Bacolod-Silay International Airport is the gateway to the most populous city in Western Visayas. This airport is included in the P108 billion provincial airport modernization public-private partnership (PPP).

Aside from a facelift, operation and maintenance of the regional gateway will also be tackled. The entire airport complex can receive one million passengers and 16,715 tons of cargo annually. In 2016, close to 1.5 million passengers were serviced by the Bacolod-Silay Airport.

The City of Smiles has allotted P100 million for the development of tourism infrastructure. These projects include Coastal Boulevard, Public Plaza conservation and restoration, development of the Sum-ag River and construction of the Bacolod Nature Park. The construction of a structure in Sum-ag River is now ongoing.

Also in the pipeline is the creation of a coastal road which will connect Bacolod City to other cities and municipalities in northern Negros Occidental.

Upon completion, this proposed road will enhance trade routes between cities and will reduce time travel time for tourists and residents.

Also seen is the improvement of farm-to-market roads that will lead to an increase in mobility for agricultural activities, trade and tourism.

To further spur growth, a New Bacolod Economic Highway will soon roll-out.

The 21-kilometer economic highway project will stretch from Sum-Ag to other barangays such as: Felisa, Handuman, Mansilingan, Estegania, Granada, Mandalagan and Bata. This project is seen as an alternative route to the Circumferential Road which primarily services the central business district of Bacolod.

The City of Bacolod was recently identified as among the Philippines’ “next wave cities.” It is now considered to be among the top 10 cities outside Metro Manila that were identified as a viable place where investors can set up shop.

Aside from its rapid modernization, Bacolod City has managed to maintain its “old-world charm.” This place was the former home of sugar barons in the early part of the century. In 1880 to 1930, Negros was the center of the Philippines’ sugarcane industry.