TACLOBAN CITY — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to fast-track the completion of long-delayed road projects in Samar Island to improve connectivity and support development and peace initiatives in Eastern Visayas.
DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon, who was in the region on March 9-10, said the directive focuses on finishing priority road networks linking the three Samar provinces—Samar, Northern Samar, and Eastern Samar—which are expected to ease travel and spur economic activity in the island.
Some of the projects, Dizon said, are also tied to security and development programs supporting the operations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in areas previously affected by insurgency.
The push to complete the roads was discussed during a consultation with local officials from Samar and Leyte as part of the Samar Island Tri-Boundary Peace and Prosperity Road Map, an initiative aimed at improving transportation links and accelerating development across the island.
Among those present in the meeting were Leyte Governor Carlos Jericho Petilla, who is also the chair of the Regional Development Council VIII, along with Samar provincial leaders notably House Minority Leader and 4Ps party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan, Eastern Samar Rep. Chritopher Sheen Gonzales and Samar Gov. Sharee Ann Tan, DPWH officials, and representatives from the military.
Officials said completing the priority road networks will not only improve mobility for residents but also strengthen government efforts to bring lasting peace and economic growth to Samar and the rest of Eastern Visayas.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
