1

Chapter 1

The Problem and Its Background

Introduction

Many activities in life involve transportation. Fresh farm products

need to be transported from the farm to the market so that people can buy

them. Medical services need to be made available to everybody within the

area of jurisdiction of a local government unit (LGU), in a way requiring

transportation either to bring a patient to the nearest health center or

hospital, or bring health services to the far-flung barangays. People see the

natural resources within a locality and experience the beauty of such

tourist sites. The sites may be hidden in remote barangays within the

locality and may require transportation to reach them. Peace and order

problems need to be addressed at the soonest possible time and the

peacekeepers need transportation to reach to the troubled place. These are

just a few examples of the need of transportation in order for the

government to provide services to its constituents.

Behind the need for transportation, just like a shadow of an object,

is the road. The speed at which basic services reach the recipients depends

upon the type of roads that the transportation vehicle passes by. There are

roads that are newly opened and not yet concreted. Others are old roads

but remained as macadam roads. While others are concreted but are full
 2

of potholes. These roads make the travel difficult and lengthens the travel

time.

As mandated by RA 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991,

the LGU is mandated to provide the basic services to its constituents as

well as establish and maintain a road network for easy delivery of basic

services. As observed in Iligan City, there are roads that have remained as

gravel roads. And because they are subjected to the natural elements of

wind, rain, and heat, the roads become difficult to maneuver because of

the presence potholes and poor road condition. Some roads which are on

a slope have remained difficult to traverse especially during rainy season.

From the economic point of view, the road condition is a factor in

the rate of fare of public utility vehicles. Mostly, bad roads are found in the

rural areas, more so in the hinterlands. And the people living in those

areas are the ones greatly affected by the costly fare that public utility

vehicles are charging. Yet they are the ones who are mostly the

underprivileged members of society.

Macadam (gravel road) is a type of road construction, pioneered by

Scottish engineer John Loudon McAdam around 1820, in which single-

sized crushed stone layers of small angular stones are placed in shallow

lifts and compacted thoroughly. It is easier to repair either locally as per a

pot hole, or by scrapping off only the upper most layers to refurbish the

road surface. Due to its flexibility it can not only resist wear but also

reduce the noise of traffic. The disadvantage of this type of road is that it
 3

wears over time and has high maintenance cost, requiring a very good

drainage system.

Concrete roads are highly durable and more environmentally

friendly as compared to asphalt roads. It is more expensive but it can last

longer than macadam asphalt overlaid road. Concrete roads and well-

maintained ones are the ideal roads.

Following the specifications in a standardized manner for concrete

roads, will spell the difference between a concrete road that lasts and a

concrete road that cracks easily. As observed, there are many concrete

roads in the rural areas which have been constructed but were not meant

to last for a long time. A lot of concrete roads have been turned over to the

government without the provision of drainage canals on both sides of the

road. When rain comes, the gushing flow of water tracing the concrete road

is a usual sight and in a few more rains, part of the concrete road is washed

away.

Presently, the road maintenance program practiced by the City

Engineer’s Office of Iligan City is a periodic grading and backfilling of gravel

roads. The big limitation to this program is the lack of heavy equipment

to accommodate requests for road improvement. This problem becomes

complicated due to the scheduling of such grading and backfilling which

must occur on dry season or summer time only. Of the 44 barangays in

Iligan City, there are only 28 coastal barangays, while the 16 are

hinterland barangays. Most of the time, the road maintenance works are
 4

prioritized to the coastal barangays where the population density is higher

and more economic activities thrive.

The (local government unit) LGU has a budget of its own. But it is

not enough to finance all the needed basis services that its constituents

need. Hence, there is a prioritization of projects so that with the meager

financial resources that a (local government unit) LGU may have, at least

the use of it is optimized. And the road as well as its maintenance is one

of the budgeted projects that a city must fund. But it cannot afford to use

all its budget to roads only. That is why, as observed, some roads are either

too muddy during rainy season, or two bumpy during dry season.

The objective of this study is to find solutions that do not drain the

city’s budget but still keep the road network conducive to travel. At the

same time, it aims to establish a comprehensive road network plan which

will be followed in the concreting of roads in Iligan City.

Statement of the Problem

As observed, the concreting of roads in Iligan City does not follow an

established comprehensive road network plan. A Punong Barangay

(Barangay Captain) who has strong connection with the administration

gets more road concreting projects compared to other Punong Barangay

(Barangay Captains) with lesser connection. The irrational distribution of

road concreting projects has not translated into a road network that is
 5

responsive to the needs of the people, where diversionary roads are made

available once a particular route is not passable.

This policy study attempted to answer the following questions:

1. What is the current situation of the road within Iligan City?

2. What is the Comprehensive Road Network Masterplan of Iligan City?

3. Who are the various stakeholders in the policy direction of the road

concreting in Iligan City?

4. What are the parameters in the concreting of road to produce high

quality roads and for concrete road maintenance that will protect

and prolong the useful life of concrete road?

5. What policy measures can be proposed for a comprehensive road

network of Iligan City?

Objectives of the Study

Generally, the study aims to come up with policy statements with

regards to road concreting in Iligan City. Specifically, the study aimed to:

1. Present the current situation of roads in Iligan City;

2. Assess the existing Comprehensive Road Network Master Plan of

Iligan City;

3. Identify the various stakeholders in the policy direction of the road

concreting;
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4. Identify parameters leading to the construction and maintenance of

concrete roads;

5. Recommend policy options for a Comprehensive Road Network in

Iligan City.

Methodology of the Study

This study used the following methodologies:

1. Stakeholder Analysis – The stakeholders will be identified as follows:

the City Mayor’s Office of Iligan; City Planning and Development

Office; City Engineer’s Office; the Department of Public Works and

Highways; the Barangay Councils; the public utility vehicle

association; and the riding public. Then the extent of their

participation in terms of roles and responsibilities will be

established.

2. Focus Group Discussion (FGD) – People from similar backgrounds

or experiences will be gathered together to discuss a specific topic

on concrete roads. The group will be guided by a group facilitator

who will introduce topics for discussion and help the group to

participate in a lively and natural discussion among themselves. The

strength of FGD relies on allowing the participants to agree or

disagree with each other so that it provides an insight into how a

group thinks about concrete roads and the variation that exists in

terms of beliefs, experiences, and practices relative to concrete

roads.
 7

3. SWOT Analysis – A Strength-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats

analysis allows the researcher to gather insights from the different

stakeholders of the concrete roads. Each step of the analysis will be

highlighted in order to get the ideas of the stakeholders about the

topic. This was used in order to gather information on the need for

concrete roads in various barangays in Iligan City.

4. Documentary Analysis – The documents gathered from DPWH, City

Engineer’s Office, and the City Planning and Development Office will

be analyzed in order to provide raw data on the road network, road

condition, and type of roads. It will become one of the inputs to the

Comprehensive Road Network Masterplan of Iligan City.

5. Field Inspection – An ocular inspection will be done on various roads

in Iligan City to verify the table survey done from documents gather

from different offices and to provide updated information on the

condition of the road as well as the present need of a concrete roads

as manifested by the residents in the area.

6. Policy Analysis Matrix - This approach will be used to evaluate

the policy recommendations and to be able to identify the optimal

policy option. To compare the various mechanism for funding as

to evaluate the funding partnership from a public or private

agencies.
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Scope and Limitations of the Study

The study intends to investigate the road network in Iligan City only.

A special attention will be placed on roads that are not yet concreted. A

secondary focus will be placed on concreted roads where the parameters

on maintenance will be established. The study also dealt with the

establishment of parameters for the revisiting of the road network

masterplan. Further, the study intends to establish a set of criteria for the

prioritization of requests for road concreting projects.

The financial aspect of road concreting projects is not part of the

study.

Significance of the Study

The policy paper is significant to the following:

City Mayor’s Office of Iligan. The policy paper can provide objective

inputs for decision making for the approval of requests for road concreting.

It can minimize subjectivity of the decision and can address the most

pressing need for road concreting.

City Planning and Development Office. The policy paper can provide

inputs to the City Planning Officer for road concreting projects that can be

funded by the Local Government of Iligan City, the Philippine National

Government, foreign funding institutions, and grants from various local

charitable institutions.
 9

City Engineer’s Office. The policy paper can serve as a basis for their

scheduling of road maintenance work, as well as for prioritization and

monitoring of road concreting projects.

Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). The policy paper

can serve as inputs to their decisions on road concreting projects for Iligan

City which they will fund and construct. At the same time, the concrete

road maintenance policy – which is part of this study- can add to their

practices on road maintenance.

Barangay Councils. The policy paper can assist the Barangay Councils to

align their program of works in requesting for road concreting projects in

their area. This allows them to track down their barangay level made

ordinances to a more comprehensive one.

Public Utility Vehicle Association. The implementation of this study will

redound to a better roads. This would translate into shorter trips, lesser

maintenance of vehicles and better travel experience.

Riding Public. The implementation of this study will redound to better

roads. This would translate into hassle free transportation, give justifiable

value conscious on fare and faster transportation time.

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Definition of Terms

Autonomy - the right or condition of self-government

Barangays - the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is

the native Filipino term for a village

Bituminous - containing or impregnated with bitumen (an asphalt of

Asia Minor used in ancient times as a cement and

mortar)

Comprehensive - covering completely or broadly

Decentralization - the dispersion or distribution of functions and

powers

Devolved - to pass on (something, such as responsibility, rights, or

powers) from one person or entity to another

Far-flung – remote, widely spread or distributed

Hinterlands - a region remote from urban areas

Jurisdiction - the power, right, or authority to interpret and apply the

law

Legislatures - an organized body having the authority to make laws

for a political unit

Macadam - roadway or pavement especially with a bituminous binder

Masterplan - a plan giving overall guidance

Potholes - a usually minor difficulty or setback

Traverse - to move or pass along or through

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Chapter 2

Theoretical and Conceptual Frameworks

Theoretical Framework

The Positive Theory of Public Goods Provision, according to Kenneth A.

Shepsle and Barry R. Weingast (2015), states that, the advanced industrial

democracies almost exclusively provide national public goods by

legislatures rather than by referendums. It focuses on legislatures and the

influence of legislative politics on public goods provision.

The traditional economic view emphasizing under-provision of

public goods is a demand-side view; it focuses on consumer preference

and voluntary actions. Besley and others introduced positive models of

supply side of public provision through political institutions. They

introduce only a bare political supply side which effectively use a majority-

rule national referendum to decide public good provision levels.

Finally, Shepsle and Weingast apply the assignment problem

approach (the normative issue of which level of government should provide

a particular public good), which focuses on what is labelled as the

assignment puzzle (the positive issue asking which levels of government,

in fact, provide particular kinds of public goods).

 12

This resulting to a suggestion that the government has political

incentives to provide public goods.

This theory is relevant to this paper due to the need to address in

supplying a public good which is the road concreting. It is essential to all,

to travel and even transport from one place to another. It is a great avenue

for the proponent, as a legislator, in coming up this proposal paper to

provide and supply a public goods to every constituents.

Republic Act No. 7160 of October 10, 1991, an Act of Providing for

a Local Government Code of 1991. Be it enacted by the Senate and House

of the Philippines in Congress assembled with its Title; Basic Principles on

the Code: Policy and Application.

Section 1. Title. - This Act shall be known and cited as the "Local

Government Code of 1991".

Section 2. Declaration of Policy. -

(a) It is hereby declared the policy of the State that the territorial and

political subdivisions of the State shall enjoy genuine and

meaningful local autonomy to enable them to attain their fullest

development as self-reliant communities and make them more

effective partners in the attainment of national goals. Toward this

 13

end, the State shall provide for a more responsive and accountable

local government structure instituted through a system of

decentralization whereby local government units shall be given more

powers, authority, responsibilities, and resources. The process of

decentralization shall proceed from the national government to the

local government units.

(b) It is also the policy of the State to ensure the accountability of

local government units through the institution of effective

mechanisms of recall, initiative and referendum.

(c) It is likewise the policy of the State to require all national agencies

and offices to conduct periodic consultations with appropriate local

government units, nongovernmental and people's organizations,

and other concerned sectors of the community before any project or

program is implemented in their respective jurisdictions.

Section 17. Basic Services and Facilities.

(a) Local government units shall endeavor to be self-reliant and shall

continue exercising the powers and discharging the duties and

functions currently vested upon them. They shall also discharge the

functions and responsibilities of national agencies and offices

devolved to them pursuant to this Code. Local government units

shall likewise exercise such other powers and discharge such other

functions and responsibilities as are necessary, appropriate, or

 14

incidental to efficient and effective provision of the basic services and

facilities enumerated herein.

(b) Such basic services and facilities include, among others, the

maintenance of roads and bridges…

Local Road Management of DILG

As mandated by the Local Government Code, which the law devolved

the function to the Local Government Unit, the responsibility over the local

road network management was transferred from the National Government

to the Local Government Unit (LGU). For the LGU to do its function well,

the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has prepared

a Local Road Management (LRM) Manual that presents tools, standard

practices, technical standards and recommendations for LGU to

sustainably manage their local road network which provide the LGU the

following benefits: Clarity on responsibilities of LGUs on the

administration and management of local roads; Objective prioritization of

local roads; Linking road planning to work programming and

maintenance; Appropriate engineering interventions to local road

conditions; Reliable estimation of costs for local roads; Local gravel roads

designed and built to standards; Improve supervision of local road

construction; Longer life span of local roads through proper maintenance;

and Minimize effects of local roads to environment.

 15

Local road management is a critical LGU function. Through

devolution and decentralization, LGUs have been granted with the local

autonomy including the efficient and effective provision of basic services

and facilities. Local road infrastructures are considered by the Local

Government Code [Sections 17 (a) and (b)] as basic facilities that the LGUs

should provide within its jurisdiction. Local roads are critical

infrastructures that provides and accelerates the delivery of public services

and goods. The development and management of the local road network is

therefore central to this mandate.

The local roads are further stratified as provincial, city, municipal

and barangay roads, which corresponds to the level of local government

having administrative jurisdiction over such roads. In general, the

administration of roads according to road hierarchies and responsible

government agencies is shown below. The purposes of this document,

administrative agency means that the designated government agency is in

charge of the development and management of the road covered under its

jurisdiction.
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ROAD ROAD ADMINISTRATIVE LEGAL

MANDATE
HIERARCHY CLASSIFICATION AGENCY BASIS
National Roads National Roads DPWH Provision and EO
management 124, S.
of national
roads
1987
Provincial Roads Provincial Provision and RA 7160
Governments management
of provincial
Local Roads roads
City Roads City Provision and RA 7160
Governments management
of city roads
Municipal Roads Municipal Provision and RA 7160
Governments management
of municipal
roads
Barangay Roads Barangay Maintenance RA 7160
Council of barangay
roads

Figure 1: Administration and Classification of Roads

Local road planning is component of the over-all local development

planning process the local governments as guided and assisted by

oversight national government agencies. The local road planning should

be in harmony with the main local development plans of the LGU. The

identified road projects under local road planning serve as the investment

program for road infrastructure.

Local road management (LRM), as the name implies, is planning the

sustainably managing the local road network in consideration of the

socioeconomic development of the LGU. Sustainable management of local

road infrastructure requires regular maintenance, adequate prioritization

 17

and planning, sufficient budget and adequate contracting, financial

management and monitoring procedures. In simple terms, local road

management is the planning and implementation of investments to local

roads based on the function and condition of the local viewed as a network

that supports the over-all socioeconomic development of the LGU.

The local engineering offices will be faced with a series of decisions

on what is the appropriate type of investment (or civil works) to a local

road and the best method to get this done effectively and efficiently. In this

context, an effective provision of a local road infrastructure means that the

civil works implemented to the local road functioned as planned, for which

the local road is now providing a certain level of service.

Configuration of the Local Road Network

All LGUs have an envisioned socioeconomic development that is to

be attained in the medium or long-term period. The local roads should be

configured as a network supporting this envisioned development of the

LGU. LGUs may prioritize local roads investments to corridors where there

is observed or expected increase in traffic volume.

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Appropriate Surface Treatment

Determining the suitable engineering intervention to a local road

should always be based on the current physical condition, level of traffic

volume and over-all prioritization for local road investments. Major local

road infrastructure may require pre-feasibility study to ensure that the

LGU is appropriating the right amount of investment to the right project

at the right period.

Road Design and Activity Standards

The quantity and quality of civil works for local road infrastructure

should be properly defined and estimated based on the actual road

conditions, the estimated level of traffic volume and the project design life.

This process is called detailed engineering design (or detailed design),

which is normally prepared for major civil works such as rehabilitation,

improvement or new construction. Road upgrading shall refer to the civil

works designed to elevate the current surface condition of the road to the

next higher surface condition. This may mean upgrading the existing

gravel pavement to double bituminous surface treatment, asphaltic

concrete or concrete.

The ideal surface pavement of a local road should be able to support

the current and future traffic volume along the said road. The ability to
 19

support current and projected traffic load should be taken in the context

of the design life of the subject roads.

Average Daily
Recommended Type of Surface Pavement
Traffic
Under 200 Gravel pavement, crushed gravel or crushed stone
bituminous preservative treatment, Single or
200 – 400 double bituminous surface treatment, Bituminous
macadam pavement
Bituminous macadam pavement, Dense or open

400 – 1,000 graded plant mix surface course, Bituminous

concrete surface course

1,000 – 2,000 Bituminous concrete surface course

Bituminous concrete surface course, Portland
More than 2,000
cement concrete pavement

Figure 2: Recommended Surface Pavement Type for Local Roads based

on Average Daily Traffic

Local Road Safety

Vehicular accidents have been the leading cause of injuries since

2003. Globally, road traffic accidents are estimated to be the third

leading cause of death by 2020. Road accidents have economic cost due

to medical cost; resource and the time cost; property damage; pain, grief

and sufferings; injuries; and fatalities.

 20

Road Safety Principles Factors

1. Choice of intersection type Design should consider the objective of

and layout
2. Safety of the roadside
3. Safety of unprotected road
users
4. Traffic speed limits
5. New road construction
Figure 3: Local Road Safety Principles
reducing potential conflicts and severity
of traffic accidents
Design should define “clear zones” for
road sides. Certified median and
roadside barriers; and frangible poles
for lights and signage should be used
Design should consider the protection
of pedestrians, bicycle users and other
vulnerable road users
Local roads passing through small
communities should be designed for low
traffic speed
Road safety measures should be
incorporated of new local roads

The conceptual framework shows the direction of the study in terms

of concept relationship. It shows the factors that provide contributions

that lead to an output of this policy paper on road concreting which is the

key to economic development of Iligan City. The inputs are the

independent variable used in the study is the Comprehensive Road

Network Masterplan which initiates in the development of the current

status of roads of Iligan City, and by the contributions of the stakeholders;

Local Government Unit: City Mayor’s Office, City Planning and

 21

Development Office, City Engineer’s Office; Department of Public Works

and Highways; Barangay Councils; Public Utility Vehicle Association and

Public Riders, which are the dependent variable.. The input variables will

then being processed through, Stakeholder Analysis, Focus Group

Discussion, SWOT Analysis, Documentary Analysis, and Field inspection

will be undertaken.

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

Independent Variable
COMPREHENSIVE Assessment of the
Policy Direction on Road
ROAD NETWORK Input through:
Concreting:
MASTERPLAN - Stakeholders
Key to Economic
Analysis
Development of Iligan City
Dependent Variable - Focus Group
Current Status of the Discussion (FGD)
Roads in Iligan City - SWOT Analysis
STAKEHOLDERS: - Documentary
- LOCAL Analysis
GOVERNMENT - Field Inspection
UNIT; CMO, - Policy Analysis
CPDO, CEO Matrix
- Department of
Public Works and
Highways
- Barangay Councils
- Public Utility
Vehicle
Association
Legal Bases for Road
Development
RA 7160
Local Government Code
of 1991

Figure 4: Conceptual Framework

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Chapter 3

Unit of Analysis

For the past decade, the Iligan City has become an important

economic center in Northern Mindanao. It is the center of major

industries, commercial and educational establishments. It was dubbed as

the “Industrial Center of the South.” Recently, it has become one of the

major tourist destinations of the region. Since its birth in the 16th century,

it has remained a Visayan dominated area in this part of the country. It

has, however, retained its role as a friendly neighbor to the cultural

communities in its vicinities. It is identified as a growth pole in Mindanao.

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Figure 5: Iligan City Location Map

The City of Iligan is located in the Northern coast of Mindanao facing

Iligan Bay, bounded in the north by the province of Misamis Oriental, in

the east by the provinces of Bukidnon and Lanao del Sur and in the south

by the province of Lanao del Norte.

Iligan City is subdivided into 44 barangays with a total land area of

81,337 hectares, which is about 25 percent of the total land area of Lanao

del Norte and is 3.13 percent of the total land area of Northern Mindanao.

Population Density By Barangay, Urban-Rural (2010)

Current Status of Road Network

The city’s transport system is predominantly schemed for the

transportation of goods and passengers. Presently, the existing national

highway (Roxas Avenue and sections of Bonifacio and Macapagal Avenue)

that traverse the Central Business District (CBD) and local roads (Quezon

Avenue, Aguinaldo St. and Badelles Street) served the heavy flow of traffic

during peak hours. These roads cater almost all routes of public utility

vehicles in the city.

As 2011, records from the DPWH and City Engineer’s Office showed

that the city road network consists of national and local or city

administered roads. The national road has a total length of 113.689 km.
 24

comprising of 46.370 km. (40.790) concrete, 1.623 km (1.42%) asphalt

and 65.696 km (57.78%) gravel. Local or city road has a total length of

751.577 km with 286.90 km (38.17%) concrete, 5.057 km (0.67%) asphalt

and 459.718 (61.16%) gravel.

The existing road network within the Central Business District

(CBD) is inadequate. Roadways are narrow with average road right-of-way

width of 10 meters. Some portions of sidewalks are occupied by illegal

structures and sidewalk vendors forcing pedestrians to walk on the side of

the streets along with moving jeepneys. Road widening and clearing of

sidewalks are needed to improve traffic circulation in the CBD.

The road network within urban areas are interconnected to different

barangays and extended to residential areas by either service on

subdivision roads.

The canals on both sides of the road are heavily silted. Flooding is

usually experienced when the rains fall. Road areas which are flooded

during rains have cracked because the soil foundation underneath the

concrete roads was saturated with water which either erodes the soil or

tenders it soft beneath the weight of the concrete. The siltation is brought

about by open land areas which are directly contiguous with the canals,

which during a downpour; the top soil is washed out to the nearest

catchment area, usually the canal. Another factor of siltation is the

discriminate throwing of solid waste making the canals the repository of

garbage.
 25

The hinterland barangays are served by a total of 309.955 km road

which is about 41.23% of the city’s local road network. This road consists

of 13.068 km. (4.22%) concrete and 296.887 km. (95.78%) gravel. Many

sections of the gravel roads are in poor condition and are not accessible

during rainy days while some production areas still do not have access

roads. The proposed hinterland loop and agricultural highway which are

designed to traverse hinterland barangays is expected to improve the

hinterland road network system that will provide efficient transport

services to farmers in the area.

The concrete roads in the hinterland, which comprise 4.22% of the

hinterland roads, come in lengths of as short as 500 meters to more than

10 kilometers. The concrete road lengths are usually not built as one

length. Instead, it is an addition to existing stretch of concrete road, whose

construction depends upon the availability of budget from the Local

Government of Iligan, or from other funding institutions which among

others are from senators, congressmen, national government agencies like

the DPWH, and foreign sources. Most of the old concrete roads are in poor

condition. Cracks and potholes abound. In some areas, the intrusion of

grass is evident. The present system of road concreting is directed to steep

roads which need to be cemented. The difficulty in maneuvering the steep

road created a lot of vehicular disaster which at times, involved the loss of

lives. Hence, the usual concreted roads at the hinterland start at the

approach of the steep road and end a few meters after the steep road.
 26

Almost all roads - concrete and gravel – were not constructed with

accompanying canals either at one side or both sides.

As observed, the hinterland roads are prone to erosion due to poor

drainage system. During the rainy season, the road network becomes the

path of the runoff of the rain water, bringing with it the debris from the

neighboring farmland. Also, it is evident that the farming communities in

the hinterland continue to plow the fields even up to the road. This makes

the soil vulnerable to runoff water and gets eroded easily. As the plowed

soil gets eroded, the next victim to erosion is the foundation of concrete

roads. A lot of scouring beneath concrete roads is visible along various

stretches in the hinterland areas.

Transportation Network (External Linkages)

The city is linked to other cities and municipalities and provinces

through a National Highway. This Highway runs close to the coastline of

Iligan Bay and connects to the towns of Misamis Oriental, Cagayan de Oro

City, Bukidnon, Davao and to as far as the provinces of Surigao on the

northward direction. Southward, the highway branches off into two main

directions; one branch leads to the southern town of Lanao del Norte, along

the coastine of Panguil Bay, then to Pagadian and Zamboanga. The second

branch bends towards Marawi City and to the municipalities of Lanao del

Sur and then to Cotabato interconnecting Davao.

 27

The coastal highway is currently serving an increasing number of

inter-city travels. Previous traffic counts conducted by the DPWH in 1994,

which is observed almost at the same level of traffic distribution, revealed

that 40% of vehicles enter and leave through the national highway in the

direction of Cagayan de Oro, 32% to Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental

and Zamboanga while 28% in the direction of Marawi City and Lanao del

Norte. Land-based traffic are increasing in both directions. The completed

widening of some segments of the national highway within the corridor is

not sufficient to solve future traffic congestions, especially the portion

which runs across the Central Business District (CBD).