TACLOBAN CITY – Residents of Pastrana, Leyte, are now benefiting from improved access and safer travel following the completion of a 445-meter road concreting project by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Leyte Second District Engineering Office (L2DEO) along Barangays Sapsap and Cancaraja.
District Engineer Leo Edward L. Oppura said the project involved the construction of a 200-mm thick Portland Cement Concrete Pavement (PCCP), five meters wide, designed to provide durable all-weather access. The project also includes reflectorized pavement markings to enhance visibility and road safety, particularly at night.
Funded under the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA), the project broke ground on March 20, 2025, and was completed by April 28, 2025, at a total cost of P5.37 million.
For local residents like Benjamin N. Bohol, a farmer from Barangay District 3 with a rice field in Cancaraja, the newly paved road is a long-awaited solution to years of difficulty, especially during the rainy season.
“Nagpapasalamat ako nga dako an kaibhan yana an amon agi-anan na kalsada… Lubak-lubak, malagay-lagay, ngan makaluluoy an mga studyante para ngade han Manaybanay National High School kay malutak gud an ira pagbabaktas,” said Bohol, recalling how muddy, uneven terrain once made travel nearly impossible for students and farmers alike.
He added that transporting rice harvests has now become easier and more efficient:
“Dako an amon pasalamat… deri na kami kukurian pagdara ngadi han amon bungto ngan amon baranggay.”
The improved road is expected to greatly enhance the mobility of students, farmers, and daily commuters in the area. Previously hampered by poor road conditions, travel in the area is now safer, more reliable, and accessible year-round—supporting the government’s goal to improve rural infrastructure and stimulate economic activity in underserved communities.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
