TACLOBAN CITY — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Leyte 2nd District Engineering Office has completed the P9.78-million rehabilitation of a local access road connecting Barangays Qui-ong and West Road in La Paz, Leyte, improving connectivity and mobility for residents.

District Engineer Leo Edward Oppura said the project involved re-blocking damaged pavement, concreting road sections, and widening the existing roadway to meet the five-meter width standard for local roads.

“The rehabilitated road will provide faster and safer access to schools, government offices, and healthcare facilities,” Oppura said. “Residents, most of whom rely on motorcycles for transportation, will now travel more comfortably and efficiently.”

The project covers 4,358.77 square meters of Portland Concrete Cement Pavement (PCCP) and is part of the DPWH’s continuing effort to enhance local infrastructure that supports trade, agriculture, and community development.

According to DPWH, improving road networks in rural towns like La Paz contributes significantly to economic growth by ensuring the smoother transport of goods and easier access to essential services.

(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

TACLOBAN CITY — Thousands of children in far-flung and conflict-affected communities are expected to benefit from a P3-billion allocation under the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP), aimed at strengthening access to quality basic education through the government’s Last Mile Schools Program, Eastern Samar Representative Christopher Sheen Gonzales said.

Gonzales, who serves as House assistant minority leader, said the funding will help build and equip public schools in geographically isolated, disadvantaged, and conflict-affected areas (GIDCAs), many of which lack classrooms, teachers, and basic learning facilities.
“This program is a lifeline for our children in remote communities,” Gonzales said. “The goal is to ensure that no learner is left behind just because they live in areas far from the town centers.”

The P3-billion allocation will finance not only the construction of classrooms but also the installation of solar power systems, water and sanitation facilities, internet connectivity, and technical-vocational laboratories for schools located off the national grid.

Gonzales emphasized that his home province, Eastern Samar, has at least 41 barangays classified as GIDCAs, underscoring the urgent need to address educational inequality in the countryside.

He expressed support for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to decentralize the school building program, allowing local government units (LGUs) to take the lead in implementing projects.

“In hard-to-reach barangays, it’s more practical for municipal governments to manage construction, with the assistance of the Philippine Army’s engineering brigades,” Gonzales noted.

A former mayor of Guiuan, Eastern Samar, Gonzales said he has seen firsthand the struggles of students in island and upland communities like Homonhon Island, which can only be reached via a two-and-a-half-hour boat ride from the mainland.

The lawmaker, who sits on the House Committees on Basic Education and Appropriations, is also a principal author of House Bill No. 4745, or the Last Mile Schools Act, which seeks to institutionalize the program launched by the Department of Education (DepEd) in 2019.
The House of Representatives approved the measure on third and final reading on October 13, and it has since been transmitted to the Senate for concurrence.

“The passage of this bill will make the Last Mile Schools Program a lasting commitment of government—to reach every Filipino learner, no matter how far,” Gonzales said.

(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

To ensure public safety and immediately address potential hazards, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Northern Samar Second District Engineering Office (NSSDEO) – District Inspectorate Team (DIT), led by OIC-Assistant District Engineer Francisco Y. Tañala, conducted an inspection and evaluation on October 16, 2025, of the two elevated steel water tanks located at the Palapag town public plaza, upon the instruction of District Engineer Atty. Arthur Eric L. Sabong. Prior to the directive, the Local Chief Executive of Palapag, N. Samar, Hon. Fawa A. Batula, sought assistance from the District Office to inspect and evaluate the structural integrity of the said tanks, which were identified as possible risk to public safety. The request was made as a proactive measure by the Local Chief Executive to prevent any untoward incident or potential damage to lives and property.

The said inspection was jointly conducted with the presence of Mayor Batula, the Municipal Engineer and the Municipal Administrator. During the inspection, the inspectorate team observed that the two elevated steel water tanks structures exhibited extensive corrosion, rusting, and deformation of the primary and secondary steel members. The team also noted visible signs of material fatigue and deterioration affecting the stability of the supporting framework. Even in the absence of water load, the tanks were observed to be highly deteriorated and in an unstable condition, posing potential hazard to the public.

According to OIC-ADE Tañala, the immediate inspection was conducted as matter of urgency. He shared that the inspectorate team has strongly recommended to the Honorable Mayor of Palapag the immediate demolition and removal of the two elevated water steel tanks due to their deteriorated condition. He further emphasized that the area should be immediately cordoned off to restrict public access and prevent any possible injury or accidents until demolition activities are completed.

The District Office supports the initiative of the LGU of Palapag for its prompt action to safeguard its constituents. Furthermore, the inspectorate team advised the concerned LGU to maintain close coordination with the district office for the provision of necessary technical assistance in the proper execution of demolition and, if applicable, reconstruction.

Thus, the District Office reaffirmed the Department’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding the public and in supporting sustainable community development.

(JOEMAR M. PATILAN/PR)