The Claim: Mark Villar started the 7.17 km Urdaneta City Bypass Road
Rating: FALSE
This post by Kalsada PH (https://www.facebook.com/amazingroadph/posts/698984651538493) touts the recently-opened 7.17 kilometer Urdaneta City Bypass Road which cuts down travel time from Villasis to Binalonan to 30 minutes, as another DPWH highlight with an image crediting it to former DPWH Secretary Mark Villar.
This is false.
The Facts: DPWH’s official site says that Phase 1 of the bypass road was begun as early as April 1, 2014 (https://www.dpwh.gov.ph/dpwh/news/1337).
Another article from the official site says that DPWH Regional Director Ronnel Tan affirmed that the acquisition of road right-of-way in the preparatory process was paid for in 2012(https://www.dpwh.gov.ph/dpwh/news/12186).
The same article says that Phase 1 of the project was completed on July 31, 2016, days before Villar officially resigned from the House of Representatives to take the seat of DPWH Secretary (https://news.abs-cbn.com/…/mark-villar-resigns-from…).
Suffice it to say that the project has been in the works long before Villar ever had any hand in its development.
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