The mayor of Cortes on Tuesday expressed optimism on the spillover of progress from province capital Tagbilaran City as major infrastructure projects are set to be implemented in the town.

According to Cortes Mayor Iven Lim, he has long hoped for projects of the same magnitude as the upcoming ones including the construction of the Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Regional Hospital.

In line with the national government’s initiative, a warehouse of the Department of Health is already being constructed at the site of the hospital in Cortes.

The government is planning to build a drug rehabilitation center in the area while the P10-million Bohol Youth Home, a facility for underage delinquents, is also set to be constructed there.

Previously, the 500-hectare treatment facility for drug dependents was set to be built in Carmen but the plan was scrapped and the center will instead be erected in Barangay Malayo, Cortes.

Meanwhile, two sites were previously considered as location of the Bohol Youth home, Bilar and Albur.

However, both were scrapped as options as Bilar is considered a tourism center while budget estimation for land development in Alburquerque was found to be expensive.

Liza Quirog, coordinator of the Socio-Economic and Environmental Management (SEEM) Cluster, earlier told the Chronicle that the three structures will be part of the proposed “health and wellness complex” in Cortes.

Lim also pointed out that the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources (PENRO) is already situated in Cortes and he is optimistic that more facilities will be built in the town.

The town of Cortes is right next to Tagbilaran City and has a population of 16,954 based on the 2015 census. (R. Tutas)