In a weekly media forum
sponsored by the Catbalogan Cable TV Media Advocates Nucleus (CCATMAN) on
January 4, DPWH Samar 2nd district Engineer Pablo Aragon said that the
Calbiga-Tizon (Tarangnan) road section rehabilitation project has already
been awarded and is expected to commence construction in the first quarter
of 2006.
According to him, the budget
for this rehabilitation road project covering a total of 59.53 kilometers,
is said to be worth P734 million.
“The bidding of this project
has been recently done, and this was funded by the Philippine government
with counterpart funding with some foreign government through the efforts of
the congressional office of Rep. (Catalino) Figueroa,” Aragon said.
To recall, Rep. Figueroa
earlier announced that the funding for this project has already been
approved in the House of Representatives through his efforts and his buddy
in the first district Rep. Reynaldo S. Uy.
The 2 Samar solons earlier
told reporters here that because of the “bad” condition of these roads, it
often discouraged the potential investors and tourists to visit our place
despite the fact that we have here the best tourists’ attraction and
destinations to offer.
As this developed the solons
also said several complaints coming from the commuters and the bus operators
hounded their offices as to the “bad road” condition of the Maharlika
highway here.
On top of this, “many
Manila-based bus companies also wrote letters of complaints to us citing the
increase of highway incidents, which they said, majority happened only here
Samar,” Rep. Figueroa said.
“It is high time that the
rehabilitation should start the soonest possible time, and that is very
sure, this first quarter of 2006,” the solon added.
Meanwhile, because of the
incessant rains that recently occurred in the region, many road section of
the Maharlika highway in this province suffered “road slips” which damage
was estimated by the DPWH to be worth millions of pesos.
In Samar, for example, the
Pisak road approaches has collapsed in the Wright-Taft road and was earlier
declared by the department impassable to all kinds of heavy vehicles.
“Passing through the 40-50 meter stretch is deemed dangerous because of
continuous erosion to due to heavy rains,” Engr. Aragon said. He described
that this pavement is between a high mountain and a deep embankment on the
other side.
Aragon added that the
regional office has declared a travel advisory closing the road to vehicular
traffic but this was not followed by some of the commuters.
This prompted the department
to make an improvised passage on the shoulder but only for light vehicles.
Aragon said heavy vehicles were directed to take the Basey-Lawaan coastal
road route.
Public utility jeeps and
buses, however, been allowed as long as they unload their passengers first,
when passing the perilous site.
Of this situation, Aragon
said he has already submitted a report and a recommendation on how much will
be needed to restore the “damaged” road slips along the Maharlika highway
and the Pisak road approaches.
“We need at least P10
million that include the cutting of the upper mountain, trees, and
constructing walls or structures to contain the soil,” he said.
The District Engineer
forecasted to finish the project within the year along with other damaged
road slips in the region which now reached more than P60 million.
