End of insurgency seen in N. Samar town linked to nat'l highway

From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 21, 2023): End of insurgency seen in N. Samar town linked to nat'l highway (By Sarwell Meniano)

TACLOBAN CITY – Officials have expressed confidence that the completion of the new road in Northern Samar after five years of construction would help end insurgency in Silvino Lubos, one of the poorest towns in the country.

The inauguration of the Suba Bridge within the new road that connects the town to a highway in Mondragon town signals the full completion of the PHP238.31 million project.

“This road will connect people and businesses which was hardly possible in the past. This will undoubtedly open up opportunities for everyone.

Economic development is vital to the growth and prosperity of Northern Samar,” said Charlito Carlobos, district engineer of the Department of Public Works and Highway (DPWH) Northern Samar 2nd engineering district office in a statement shared by the Philippine Army to reporters on Wednesday.

The 3.25-kilometer road and bridge network has reduced the usual 12-hour boat ride to the town to just one hour and 30 minutes by land.

For Silvino Lubos Mayor Leo Jarito, the project is key to ending insurgency in their town and nearby areas. They have been waiting for this project for five decades.

“This is the most awaited moment for the town to finally get connected to the capital and other municipalities in Northern Samar. It has already been five decades since the people of Silvino Lubos had waited for such progress,” Jarito said.

“If there is infrastructure, the New People’s Army becomes irrelevant since the basic needs of people are being addressed. In the case of our town, it will be easier for our people to transport our products to the market,” the mayor added.

Maj. Gen. Camilo Ligayo, commander of the Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry Division, said the project will boost their campaign to wipe out the NPA in Northern Samar.

“I am optimistic that the three brigades with nine battalions deployed here in Samar Island, we can eradicate the communist terrorist group and will soon welcome socio-economic development most especially in the areas which were once exploited by the terrorists,” Ligayo said.

Silvino Lubos, a fourth-class town is about 30 kilometers away from Catarman, the provincial capital of Northern Samar. Some people started to access the town by land when detour bridges were built in October 2020.

Since 2011, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity - Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan has set aside PHP982.5 million to build three bridges and their road components leading to Silvino Lobos. These are the Cagpanit-an Bridge, Sulong Bridge, and Suba Bridge.

Silvino Lubos, home to over 15,000 people, was the poorest town in the country in 2015 with a poverty incidence of 78.5 percent. The poverty rate went down to 56.9 in 2018, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1203953