Occidental Mindoro Rep. Leody Tarriela met with regional officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to resolve environmental concerns delaying the Victoria-Sablayan Bypass Road Project.
The Victoria-Sablayan road project has drawn environmental scrutiny because of its potential proximity to areas inhabited by tamaraws, whose remaining population is concentrated in protected areas in Mindoro.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Tarriela said he met with DPWH Mimaropa Regional Director Rosita Tinawin and DENR Mimaropa Regional Director Felix Mirasol, along with their technical staff, to discuss the project’s pending issues.
Tarriela said the proposed bypass road would connect the towns of Victoria in Oriental Mindoro and Sablayan in Occidental Mindoro, serving as a bypass between the two provinces.
The project has been in the works for some time but encountered delays due to environmental concerns, particularly the possibility that road construction could affect the tamaraw, the critically endangered wild buffalo endemic to Mindoro.
‘We need to find solutions on how the project can proceed while still protecting the environment,’ Tarriela said in Filipino.
He stressed that infrastructure projects are important to the development of the province but should be implemented in a way that protects the environment for future generations.
The meeting also covered other projects that require an Environmental Compliance Certificate from the DENR, including several coastal road projects, the Lipitan Reservoir Irrigation Projects, and proposed footbridges and bridges in various towns in the province.