NSSDEO, Brgy. Burabud, Laoang, N. Samar – The Department of Public Works and Highways – Northern Samar Second District Engineering Office (DPWH-NSSDEO) has started the construction of the missing links/new roads project along the Catumsan-Jipapad-Las Navas-Catubig-Rawis Road which aims to enhance road connectivity of far-flung barangays in the province of Northern Samar and Eastern Samar, promote economic growth, and improve access to essential services.
The said project, supervised by NSSDEO Project Engineer Arturo C. Corocoto, Jr., involves the concreting of approximately 1,635 meters of roadway.
Designed with a width of 6.70 meters and a thickness of 0.28 meters, the new road will feature 1.50-meter shoulders on both sides and includes 275 meters of slope protection. The funding for this project, with Contract ID No. 24II0022, comes from the General Appropriations Act of 2024, with a total allocation of P81.206 million.
Local officials and community members have expressed their support for the project, emphasizing its potential to stimulate economic activities, end insurgency issues, promote tourism, and strengthen connectivity between Eastern Samar and Northern Samar.
Enhanced road connectivity is expected to facilitate the movement of goods and services, providing a boost to local economy.
Farmers, in particular, stand to benefit from this project, enabling them to sell their products more efficiently.
Moreover, the construction of the Catumsan-Jipapad-Las Navas-Catubig-Rawis Road is anticipated to improve access to education and healthcare facilities for residents in remote areas.
With better roads, students will find it easier to commute to schools, while patients can reach medical services more quickly, ultimately leading to improved quality of life.
“When this project is finished, our community will receive significant benefits in the future.
Our products will be easier to sell because travel has become simpler due to this project implemented by the DPWH. When we have patients in our barangay, we can quickly transport them to town because of improved road. We are grateful that our barangay is one of the beneficiaries of this project],” Bobby Turbanada, the village chairman of San Francisco, Las Navas, said in the vernacular.
Furthermore, the realization of this vital infrastructure is of paramount importance to the prosperity of the region as it hopes to end insurgency issues and achieve peace and order for the people residing in the far-flung barangays of Northern Samar and Eastern Samar, ultimately leading to improved quality of life.
With this project, the region takes a step forward in addressing its infrastructure needs. As the project continues its construction, the importance of reliable road networks cannot be overstated. The Catumsan-Jipapad-Las Navas-Catubig-Rawis Road project is more than just a construction effort, it represents a vision for a connected and prosperous region. (PR)
