TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Southern Leyte has turned over a series of infrastructure projects worth P25 million to several former conflict-affected and geographically isolated barangays in the town of Sogod, marking another milestone under the Support to Barangay Development Program (SBDP).
Implemented in partnership with the local government of Sogod and the 14th Infantry Battalion, the projects include farm-to-market roads, water systems, school buildings, and health stations aimed at improving access to essential services and promoting sustainable development in remote areas.
Among the completed projects are the farm-to-market roads (FMR) in Barangays Pancho Villa and SF Mabuhay (Phases 1 and 2), a P5-million FMR and a P2.5-million water system in Barangay Hipantag, and a P2.5-million school building in Barangay Dagsa.
The DILG also turned over a P2.5-million Level II potable water supply system in Barangay Pandan, providing clean and safe water to around 2,000 residents, as well as new health stations worth P2.5 million each in Barangays San Juan and Benit. These facilities are expected to benefit 785 and 405 residents, respectively.
DILG Southern Leyte Provincial Director Danilo Laguitan said the projects symbolize the government’s commitment to peace and progress in previously neglected areas.
“These SBDP projects are not just infrastructure—they are symbols of our government’s commitment to fostering peace, progress, and resilience in our GIDAs. With the leadership of Mayor Sheffered Lino Tan and the support of the Philippine Army, we are creating self-reliant, peaceful communities in Southern Leyte,” Laguitan said.
He also urged residents to take care of the newly turned-over facilities, noting that true development continues through community stewardship.
The SBDP, a flagship initiative of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), seeks to close development gaps in remote communities by delivering essential services, alleviating poverty, and addressing the root causes of insurgency to promote lasting peace.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
