Dream unfolds as road construction in Capoocan’s remotest village starts

By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
June 27, 2013

CAPOOCAN, Leyte – To the delight of the barangay folks of Balugo, their long- time dream is starting to come true as the construction of an all-weather road leading to the town of Capoocan’s remotest barangay has started after ground-breaking rites held on June 25.

Regional Director Eliasem Castillo of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) disclosed that the 5.3-kilometer road project will connect Barangay Balugo, the town’s innermost village, to Barangay Visares.

The project with a total funding cost of P12.1-million is funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) thru the second phase of the Agrarian Reform Community Project (ARCP-2) implemented under the Program Beneficiaries Development (PBD) of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), Director Castillo said.

Contracted to the Victoria Development and Construction Supply Corp., the farm-to-market road project is expected to be finished by December, the Regional Director said.

Once completed, transporting of goods to and from Barangay Balugo will be a lot easier, Barangay Kagawad Emma Mercolita said. Lesser expense will also be incurred by the farmers and residents, she added.

Kagawad Mercolita said that at present, with the absence of road, the residents have to walk four kilometers to the adjacent Barangay Visares where they wait for a ride going to the town proper to transact business.

School children who attend classes in Barangays Visares and Lemon are oftentimes absent, Kagawad Mercolita said.

This accessibility problem has resulted to barangay residents transferring to other barangays, the Barangay Kagawad added.

Once this road project is completed, Mercolita further disclosed, these residents promised to return because their livelihood is in their barangay.

Barangay Balugo is one the town’s largest farming village where 64 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) together with the 216 from Visares will be directly benefited especially in the marketing of their products.

Presently, farmers pay P75 per sack for hauling of farm products to Visares.

Meanwhile, Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer (PARO) Leovigildo Monge shared how he and his team got lost on their way back after surveying the area during the preparatory stage of the project, DAR 8 Information Office Jose Alsmith Soria intimated trying to demonstrate how remote the barangay is.

Capoocan Mayor Federico Carolino Sr. expressed his gratitude to the Office of the President for shouldering part of the 60 percent share of the local government unit (LGU) on the total project cost thru the National Government Assistance to LGUs (NGALGU) making the equity affordable for his municipality for the benefit of his constituents.