P150-M PAMANA road projects completed in Camarines Norte

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 10): P150-M PAMANA road projects completed in Camarines Norte

Four of the five farm-to-market road (FMR) projects in Camarines Norte implemented through the funds provided this year under the Payapa at Masagamang Pamayanan (PAMANA) program of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) have already been completed. Paul Escober, OPPAP area manager for Bicol, on Monday said the four completed projects were the concreting of the Sta. Rosa Sur-San Rafael road section in Jose Panganiban town worth P20 million; concreting of Malibago-Maligaya in Labo town worth P40 million; concreting of Bakiad-Sta. Cruz-Fundado also in Labo town worth P10 million; and the concreting of Pambuhan to Lanot Road in Mercedes town worth P20 million.

The remaining project, the concreting and graveling of the Exciban farm-to-market road in Labo town worth P50 million is 80.72 percent complete as works being initiated by the Camarines Norte Provincial Engineering Office (PEO) are still on-going. Escober said the five projects were allocated this year a total of P140 million from the stimulus fund of President Benigno S. Aquino III that was channeled through the OPAPP for its PAMANA program.

 PAMANA is a priority government program being undertaken by the OPAPP towards the attainment of economic progress in conflict affected areas (CAAs) in line with the Aquino administration’s peace agenda geared at ending internal armed conflicts. Camarines Norte is among the three Bicol provinces placed under its coverage. The others are Masbate, which was given P50 million; and Sorsogon, P39 million; for various community development and peace building projects. Masbate is Bicol’s poorest province based on the assessment of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Camarines Norte is second poorest and Sorsogon is the most insurgency-troubled according to the military.

 Escober said the PAMANA program will help attain economic progress for these provinces as its objectives are based on initiating reforms and development projects in conflict affected areas in line with the national government’s peace agenda and ending internal armed conflicts. The projects communicate among communities the initiatives of government in building the culture of peace and development in the countryside to make them resilient against the anti-government whims of the insurgency being carried out by the communist New People’s Army (NPA).

Following the completion of these FMR roads in Camarines Norte, Escober said another set of PAMANA projects for funding this year had already been identified to include the water system in Labo worth P9 million, farm-to-market roads in Jose Panganiban worth P7 million and environmental projects in Capalonga worth P4 million for a total of P20 million. The amount will be provided by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and release of the funds are just awaiting the completion of necessary documents.

For funding next year are more projects worth a total of P105.5 million to be implemented in the towns of Basud, Capalonga, San Lorenzo Ruiz, Sta. Elena, and Mercedes, all in Camarines Norte. The projects include water system, construction of bridges, farm-to-market roads, corn and pineapple production and construction of new and improvement of existing irrigation systems. Funds for these will come from the DILG and the Department of Agriculture (DA), Alcober said.

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