Army in Bicol to benefit from DND-DPWH convergence program

CANAMAN, Camarines Sur --- Under the convergence program of the Department of National Defense (DND) and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), at least P100-M worth of infrastructure projects will be constructed inside Camp Elias Angeles, the headquarters of 9th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army in Bicol Region.

This was relayed to Bicol Mail by Assistant District Engineer Richard Emmanuel P. Ragragio of the DPWH 3rd Engineering District, here, a day after DPWH Secretary Mark Villar visited the Army camp to grace its 15th anniversary celebration.

On October 1, 2004, the 9th Infantry Division was made a regular Infantry Division pursuant to General Order 517 dated October 6, 2004.

Ragragio said the multimillion-peso projects include the concreting of the main road leading to the Army camp, the camp’s road network, the constructions of perimeter fence and a 2-storey building that will serve as quarters of Army personnel and the rehabilitation of the bridge situated inside the camp.

With the convergence program, the 2 government agencies can expect the expeditious implementation of the projects and their completion in 2020.

“It shall be the DND that will identify and finance the construction of facilities while the DPWH will implement the projects including the preparation of their individual program of works,” says Ragragio.

The convergence program between the DND and DPWH establishes the working arrangement of the two government agencies from planning, budgeting, prioritization, supervision, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation.

Villar was invited as guest of honor and keynote speaker during the 15th founding anniversary of the 9th ID last Friday at Camp Elias Angeles in Pili, Camarines Sur. In his speech, the secretary mentioned about the hard work that the Army personnel have been performing as part of its sustained Internal Security Operations (ISO) in order to create a physically and psychologically sound environment conducive for the undertaking of activities that will propel growth and development in the Bicol Region.