New E. Samar bridge seen to help curb insurgency

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 24, 2021): New E. Samar bridge seen to help curb insurgency (By Sarwell Meniano)

BRIDGE TO PEACE. The Jipapad Bridge in Eastern Samar. The opening of this PHP250 million bridge within the highway that links Eastern Samar and Northern Samar on Monday (Aug. 23, 2021) is expected to curb insurgency in the two provinces. (Photo courtesy of Department of Public Works and Highways)

The opening of PHP250 million Jipapad Bridge within the highway that links Eastern Samar and Northern Samar to vehicular traffic on Monday is expected to curb insurgency in the two provinces.

Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Eastern Samar district engineering office chief Ma. Margarita Junia said on Tuesday the construction of the 240-meter bridge makes the town of Jipapad, Eastern Samar accessible to all types of vehicles.

The official said that the bridge construction is composed of three phases with the first two phases funded under Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (Pamana) through a PHP150 million outlay from the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) already completed. The projects started in 2018.

Under its 2021 regular budget, the DPWH has allotted PHP100 million for the third phase to build a 200-meter road approach, construct a 90-meter flood control structure to protect the bridge from scouring, and drainage system. The third phase is now 83 percent done.

The bridge forms part of the highway that will connect to Las Navas, a town in Northern Samar where New People’s Army (NPA) rebels are frequently sighted while the town of Jipapad is one of the areas in Eastern Samar affected by insurgents.

“We believe that infrastructure development is a key to ending insurgency. We have been working to connect Jipapad to Las Navas to help educate the people and give them work,” Junia said in a phone interview.

Aside from the Jipapad Bridge, DPWH still has two other ongoing projects on road concreting along the Jipapad-Las Navas-Catubig Rawis Road, including a PHP20 million construction of a 130-meter road with slope protection and box culvert and another PHP50 million project for road opening and construction of 110-meter concrete road, box culvert and slope protection.

“Once all of these on-going projects are completed, we only have an estimated of about five kilometers of road for opening from the boundary of Northern Samar,” Junia added.

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1151434