By Philippine News Agency

A proposed public-private partnership (PPP) will connect four provinces in the Visayas by bridges with a rail component.

Adelino Sitoy, presidential adviser on legislative affairs and concurrent head of the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office, bared a PPP proposal for the construction of bridges with a railway component to link the following:

Negros Oriental to Cebu

Cordova, Cebu to Getafe, Bohol

Carlos P. Garcia, Bohol to Maasin City, Southern Leyte

“The railroad will bring a lot of benefits because travel will be faster,” Sitoy said.

He added a lot of passengers can avail this ease of connection and transport of products will be cheaper; tourism and economy in the Visayas will also get a boost since several islands will be connected.

Sitoy said they have already told President Rodrigo Duterte about the proposed project. “He has approved this project in principle but asked us to refer this to Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade.”

Sitoy was elected as vice mayor of Cordova town, but he quit after he was appointed by President Duterte to his Malacañang positions.

Sitoy said they are still under negotiations with interested investors and contractors who wish to undertake the project, but he said he cannot disclose them yet.