TACLOBAN CITY — A P25-million road concreting project is set to improve access between two barangays in Matag-ob, Leyte, with the project specifically designed to address persistent flooding and difficult travel in a low-lying area.
Matag-ob Mayor Bernardino Tacoy said the project, funded through the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF), will cover more than a kilometer of road linking Sitio Balanac in Barangay Balagtas and Sitio Balanac in Barangay Sto. Rosario.
The project is expected to undergo bidding this month, Tacoy said.
Aside from concreting the road, the project will include raising its elevation to reduce the impact of flooding and improve its usability during periods of heavy rain.
“This is a flood-prone area. The road has a major problem because it is low-lying. All the water from the higher areas of Villaba flows toward this area,” Tacoy said.
He said the road improvement would also benefit farmers who use the route to transport their agricultural products to markets and other destinations.
Matag-ob received a total of PHP30 million in LGSF, with the remaining PHP5 million allocated as assistance for the national government’s rice distribution program, which is still being implemented in the municipality.
Tacoy said the municipality initially targeted 5,000 families as beneficiaries of the rice distribution but hopes to eventually extend the assistance to all families in Matag-ob.
More than eight of the town’s 21 barangays have so far received rice, with additional assistance from the provincial government helping the municipality expand the distribution.
Tacoy expressed appreciation for the LGSF policy allowing local governments to identify projects based on their communities’ immediate needs.
“It is a big help because we can see the priority needs of our people,” he said.
He said local officials are in a better position to identify pressing concerns in their communities, allowing government funds to be directed toward projects with direct local benefits.
“For us, it is good that the national government has this LGSF program where we can identify the project ourselves, and the funds are given to us so we can implement the project,” Tacoy said.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
