By CESAR JOLITO III

Himamaylan City Mayor Raymund Tongson, Jr. is doubling down on efforts to secure national and international support to finance ambitious infrastructure and development projects as he enters his final term in office.

“We are exhausting all efforts to maximize our outputs in the next three years, especially since this is my last term,” Tongson said, emphasizing his administration’s goal of securing both soft and hard projects that will benefit the city’s residents.

Tongson said he is actively seeking additional funding from national government agencies to support high-impact projects.

Among the priority projects are the construction of a city coliseum and an auditorium, along with the rehabilitation of the Himamaylan port’s shipping terminal, which is already underway.

One of the most ambitious projects on the horizon is the proposed P12-billion tunnel project that will link Himamaylan’s Barangay Carabalan to Negros Oriental’s Tayasan town.

The mayor said the project — serving as a landmark project for the city — will significantly shorten travel time between the two areas.

Tongson said he had already met and talked with the National Economic and Development Authority and the Department of Public Works and Highways in partnership with an unnamed international company.

In addition, the city government is preparing to launch an upland road expressway, which will connect Barangay Carabalan to the Kabankalan Airport, providing an alternative route distinct from the Carabalan-Tayasan Road.

This project is associated with the ongoing Philippine Rural Development Project.

“All agencies will be prioritized,” Tongson added, noting that it’s difficult to focus on just one department, especially given the challenges the city has faced in the past./JC, WDJ