NSSDEO, Brgy. Burabud, Laoang, N. Samar – The Department of Public Works and Highways – Northern Samar Second District Engineering Office (DPWH-NSSDEO) has started the construction of the missing links/new roads project along the Catumsan-Jipapad-Las Navas-Catubig-Rawis Road which aims to enhance road connectivity of far-flung barangays in the province of Northern Samar and Eastern Samar, promote economic growth, and improve access to essential services.

The said project, supervised by NSSDEO Project Engineer Arturo C. Corocoto, Jr., involves the concreting of approximately 1,635 meters of roadway.

Designed with a width of 6.70 meters and a thickness of 0.28 meters, the new road will feature 1.50-meter shoulders on both sides and includes 275 meters of slope protection. The funding for this project, with Contract ID No. 24II0022, comes from the General Appropriations Act of 2024, with a total allocation of P81.206 million.

Local officials and community members have expressed their support for the project, emphasizing its potential to stimulate economic activities, end insurgency issues, promote tourism, and strengthen connectivity between Eastern Samar and Northern Samar.

Enhanced road connectivity is expected to facilitate the movement of goods and services, providing a boost to local economy.

Farmers, in particular, stand to benefit from this project, enabling them to sell their products more efficiently.

Moreover, the construction of the Catumsan-Jipapad-Las Navas-Catubig-Rawis Road is anticipated to improve access to education and healthcare facilities for residents in remote areas.

With better roads, students will find it easier to commute to schools, while patients can reach medical services more quickly, ultimately leading to improved quality of life.

“When this project is finished, our community will receive significant benefits in the future.

Our products will be easier to sell because travel has become simpler due to this project implemented by the DPWH. When we have patients in our barangay, we can quickly transport them to town because of improved road. We are grateful that our barangay is one of the beneficiaries of this project],” Bobby Turbanada, the village chairman of San Francisco, Las Navas, said in the vernacular.

Furthermore, the realization of this vital infrastructure is of paramount importance to the prosperity of the region as it hopes to end insurgency issues and achieve peace and order for the people residing in the far-flung barangays of Northern Samar and Eastern Samar, ultimately leading to improved quality of life.

With this project, the region takes a step forward in addressing its infrastructure needs. As the project continues its construction, the importance of reliable road networks cannot be overstated. The Catumsan-Jipapad-Las Navas-Catubig-Rawis Road project is more than just a construction effort, it represents a vision for a connected and prosperous region. (PR)

TACLOBAN CITY – Borongan City Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan Agda expressed his deep gratitude to the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) for inviting him to celebrate the agency’s 30th anniversary in the Philippines.

Mayor Agda is one of several local government officials invited to the milestone event, which highlights KOICA’s three decades of providing development assistance across the country.

Borongan City recently forged a significant partnership with KOICA, becoming part of the Philippine Climate Resilient Cities (PCRC) Project.

This $1.25 million initiative, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by KOICA, aims to help cities like Borongan, Batangas, Legazpi, Iloilo, Cotabato, and Zamboanga enhance their capacity to respond to the challenges posed by climate change.

The PCRC Project equips cities with the tools and technologies needed for climate adaptation, enabling them to implement strategies that mitigate the risks and impacts of climate change.

“I extend my heartfelt thanks to KOICA and its esteemed members for inviting me to join them in celebrating 30 years of meaningful partnership in the Philippines. My heart swells with joy knowing there is a collective organization willing to support our efforts towards climate resilience,” Agda said in a statement.

The mayor emphasized the importance of the partnership, underscoring how critical it is for the city to maximize existing resources for sustainable development and climate resilience efforts.

“I am immensely grateful for this meaningful collaboration, and I am hopeful that our resources will be utilized effectively in our ongoing campaign for sustainability and climate resilience,” he added.

In line with the project’s implementation, KOICA officials, led by Country Director Kim Eunsub, visited Borongan City in July to conduct stakeholder consultations and a site survey.

The visit focused on vulnerable areas, including barangays situated along the Lo-on River, which are particularly susceptible to the impacts of climate change.

The collaboration with KOICA marks a significant step forward for Borongan City in its efforts to build a more sustainable and climate-resilient future.

(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

Leyte polls Leyte polls

TACLOBAN CITY – Leyte Governor Carlos Jericho ‘Icot’ Petilla formally filed his certificate of candidacy (CoC) on Monday, October 7, marking his bid for a second term as governor.
Since the start of the filing of CoC last Oct.1, no other candidate has filed for the position of Leyte governor, according to records from the provincial office of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Gov. Petilla was accompanied by his running mate, incumbent Vice Governor Leonardo Javier, and other candidates vying for provincial board seats and mayoral ship.

Petilla is seeking re-election under the Nacionalist People’s Coalition (NPC), which is part of a broader coalition aligned with President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr.

When asked about his priorities if re-elected, Gov. Petilla emphasized his focus on enhancing agricultural productivity, with a particular emphasis on modern technology to aid local farmers.

“Inflation is one of the country’s biggest challenges, including here in Leyte. Agriculture plays a significant role in this. The cost of everything is rising, but food prices, in particular, have seen the biggest surge,” Petilla said after filing his CoC.

“That’s why we need to invest in agriculture and use modern technology to make it more competitive and sustainable,” he added.

In a related development, John ‘Jolo’ Lorenz Romualdez, nephew of House Speaker and Leyte Representative Martin Romualdez, has also filed his CoC, this time for the mayoralty race in Tolosa, the Romualdez family’s hometown.

John Lorenz, who submitted his CoC on Saturday (Oct.5) is running under the banner of the Aksiyon Demokratiko, the same party that fielded Manila mayoral candidate Isko Moreno in the last presidential election. Moreno was one of the candidates defeated by President Marcos, John Lorenz’s uncle.

Despite being related to the influential Romualdez family, the younger Romualdez noted that he respected the “equity of the incumbent” principle, which prevents his candidacy under the administration’s banner.

He will be facing off against incumbent Mayor Erwin Ocaña, who has the support of Speaker Romualdez.

John Lorenz’s father, Fidel, is a cousin of Speaker Romualdez, whose congressional district includes the town of Tolosa.

Explaining his decision to run, John Lorenz Romualdez expressed his desire to uplift Tolosa’s economic status.

“It’s unfortunate that Tolosa remains a poor municipality. I hope to attract investors and create opportunities for our people,” he said.
(JOEY A. GABIETA/ROEL T.AMAZONA)