Gov’t sets aside PHP990-M for dev’t of conflict-stricken Samar provinces

From the Philippine News Agency (Oct 10): Gov’t sets aside PHP990-M for dev’t of conflict-stricken Samar provinces

A total of PHP990 million worth of projects has been poured into development of conflict-stricken Samar provinces under Payapa at Masagang Pamayanan (Pamana) over the past five years, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) reported.

DILG Regional Director Marivel Sacendoncillo said of the total budget for the region, Northern Samar has the biggest share with PHP600.7 million, followed by Samar with PHP365 million and Eastern Samar with PHP24 million.

In Samar province, two projects had been completed from 2012 to 2013. These are the improvement and upgrading of a road section from Lokilokon village in Paranas to Calapi Village in San Jose de Buan town with a total budget of PHP15 million. Another project is the second phase of the road construction on the same site with PHP100 million funding.

In 2015, the first phase of concreting of Gandara to Matuguinao Road got a budget of PHP100 million. The central government had set aside an additional PHP100 million for the repair of Lokilokon-Calapi-San Jose de Buan Road. Both projects are now on- going.

This year, the national government has obligated another PHP50 million for the Gandara-Matuguinao Road project (phase 2). Samar got a total budget of PHP365million funding for Pamana projects.

“The project, as a whole, builds positive healing relationship within conflict-affected communities through the application of peace and social cohesion standards,” Sacendoncillo said.

In Eastern Samar, still ongoing is the PHP10 million construction and rehabilitation of a road section connecting Maslog town to an existing local road in Carolina Village in Can Avid town. The project got its allocation four years ago.

Recently completed is the PHP10 million concreting of road sections linking Imelda village in Lapinig to Jipapad town in Eastern Samar.

In 2015, two projects also got fundings - the construction of levels 1 and 2 of water supply project in Arteche town (PHP2.7 million) and the construction of level 3 of same project in Oras town (PHP1.8 million). Both projects are still on progress.

In Northern Samar, the province is a recipient of three projects between 2012 to 2013. These are the Mondragon-Silvino Lobos Road (PHP15 million), Cagpanit-an to Silvino Lobos Road (PHP100 million), and road opening and concreting of Silvino Lobos-Lope de Vega Road (PHP84 million).

In 2015, the region’s poorest province got PHP100 million for the construction of San Miguel Bridge with road opening and concreting along Lope de Vega-Silvino Lobos Road.

Another ongoing project is the road opening and concreting and bridge construction along Mondragon-Silvino Lobos Road section (phase 4) with a funding of PHP295 million.

This year, PAMANA will carry out a PHP6.7 million worth of development projects, including a free internet access in public places of Las Navas and Silvino Lobos towns. Northern Samar has the biggest allocation under PAMANA amounting to more than PHP600 million.

PAMANA is the national government’s convergence program that extends development interventions to isolated, hard-to-reach and conflict-affected communities, ensuring that they are not left behind.

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