QUEZON, Bukidnon – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officially opened a detour road built above the collapsed section of the six-lane Bukidnon–Davao Road in Sitio Kipolot, Barangay Palacapao, Quezon, Bukidnon, on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, following more than two months of intensive construction

The 460-meter gravel detour road was constructed by JT Gamolo Construction, Inc. with a budget of ₱46,607,897.33, sourced from the DPWH Quick Response Fund (QRF).

The project was implemented by DPWH Regional Office 10 following the collapse of a section of the Bukidnon–Davao Road due to a landslide on October 18, 2025, an incident that tragically claimed the lives of a couple. Construction began on December 12, 2025, with a target completion date of January 25, 2026, but was finished ahead of schedule due to 24/7 work operations.

DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon personally inspected the detour road before its turnover and opening to motorists, confirming that it met safety standards. He noted that the project is currently 90 percent complete, with minor works—such as finishing water canals and slope protection—still ongoing.

Senator Juan Miguel F. Zubiri, a Bukidnon resident and key advocate for restoring connectivity between Bukidnon and Davao, attended the ceremony and commended the DPWH for the swift completion of the project.

The second phase will involve an asphalt overlay of the four-lane road at a four-inch thickness, to be carried out by Venray Construction from January 16 to 18, 2026. Full traffic restoration is expected to begin on Monday, January 19, 2026.

Secretary Dizon stated that the asphalt overlay will cost an additional ₱20 million, also sourced from the QRF. He highlighted the urgency of the project, noting that the destroyed road section had caused an estimated ₱40 million in daily economic losses.

Joining Dizon and Zubiri at the opening were DPWH Undersecretary Lara Esquibil, Northern Mindanao Public Works Director Lillineth Aparecio, Bukidnon Governor Rogelio Neil P. Roque, and Quezon Mayor Pablo Lorenzo III. (melbmadera)