CATBALOGAN, Samar – Tired of
the voluminous complaints from the commuters passing the bedraggled Maharlika Highways in this province, the two representatives of this battled
province has acted making the construction and renovation of this
“talk-of-the-town” road as their “most priority” among their projects.
In the second district, Rep.
Catalino “Cata” V. Figueroa (Nationalista Party) told reporters here on
Tuesday that budgets for this project undertaken by the Department of Public
Works and Highways (DPWH) has already been approved and that the bidding
will start soon this month.
After the “total”
rehabilitation of the San Juanico-Calbiga road section, his congressional
office is now prioritizing the Calbiga-Catbalogan road project under package
4. The budget for this project reached to P1.4 billion, it was learned.
“The scheduled bidding of
this project will be on November 23, this year,” Figueroa said assuring that
it cannot be postponed anymore due to the “immediateness” of the project.
Figueroa said, he and his
colleague Rep. Reynaldo Uy (Liberal Party) of the first district are doing
their best to repair these roads that have been causing headaches to
commuters.
“These scenarios often
discouraged potential investors and tourists to visit our place because of
the dilapidated roads,” he said.
He said Congressman Uy has
scheduled the bidding of the Catbalogan-Calbayog (Package 3), and
Calbayog-Allen (package 2) on November 21, also this year.
“We are really doing our
best, uniting our minds though were came from different political parties
just to make sure that our constituents be satisfied with their decision of
electing us into office,” Figueroa said.
The solon also assailed the
provincial leadership of Gov. Milagrosa Tan for allegedly not doing “best”
in the interests of the Samareńos. “As we all know, she has done nothing to
our province. She has even done nothing to our provincial hospital, and our
patients (reportedly) just dying there,” he said in his pitch voice.
Meanwhile, DPWH Samar
District Engineer Pablo Aragon informed that the on-going projects of the
DPWH as endorsed by Rep. Figueroa amounted to P26 million including the
constructions of several farm-to-market roads, covered courts, legislative
and government offices buildings, and other major infrastructures in the
second district.
Records obtained at the
congressional office of Figueroa revealed that the solon allotted some P1.5
million each in every covered court in the municipalities of Villarreal,
Daram, Catbalogan, San Sebastian, Jiabong, Zumarraga, Calbiga, Basey,
Paranas and Talalora.
The Samar solon also gave
budgets for the construction of legislative building in Motiong, executive
building in San Jose de Buan and government offices in Zumarraga towns. The
farm-to-markets roads Cambayan and Tinaugan in Basey; San Vicente and
Palanyugon, Catbalogan; and the construction and rehabilitation of New
Minarog-Maypangi-Candumacol-Bunga road section in Motiong were also given
funds.
“I included farm-to-markets
roads in my priority projects because I believe that with this roads, it
will be easy for our farmers to bring their farm products to the nearest
highways or poblacion to trade their products. That way, we can help the
poorest among the poor,” Figueroa disclosed.
