Antique Governor Rhodora Cadiao affirmed during yesterday’s Regional Development Council-Region VI (RDC-6) meeting at the Nature’s Village Resort in Talisay City, Negros Occidental, bidding for the proposed Negros-Guimaras-Panay Bridge will commence towards the middle of 2018.

“Hopefully, the project will be realized before the term of [President Rodrigo Duterte] ends,” she noted.

Back in September, representatives from Chinese state-owned consultancy firm CCCC Highway Consultants Co., Ltd. visited the Western Visayas region to begin their pre-feasibility study on the first phase of the planned bridge.

In addition, after meeting with the firm, National Economic and Development Authority-Region VI (NEDA-6) Director Ro-Ann Bacal projected construction to begin in 2020.

Cadiao, who chairs the council, also discussed P2 billion worth of projects proposed by Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon, Jr.

“I would give priority to these projects [in order] to make Negros feel [they] have already caught up to the development under RDC-6,” she said.

Among the priority projects include irrigation, roads, and bridges.

“We need to meet the needs of Bacolod City and Negros Occidental after the province reverted back to Region 6,” Cadiao added./PLL, WDJ