CARIGARA, Leyte-The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) – Leyte Second District Engineering Office will implement a total amount of P39.4 million road rehabilitation projects funded under Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (Pamana) Program.
According to District Engineer Carlos G. Veloso, the Pamana program is being implemented by the government to reduce vulnerabilities, improve governance, and empower fragile communities.
“This involves socio-economic interventions to isolated and conflict-affected areas not only to foster sustainable development but also to avoid recurrence of sources of conflict,” added Veloso.
Among the three Pamana projects, two were already bid out, the rehabilitation of a farm-to-market road in Barangay Lanawan in MacArthur, Leyte in the amount of P19.7 million and the rehabilitation of the same project in Barangay Patag, Burauen, also in Leyte, worth P9.85 million.
Brgy.Lanawan is an upland community with it’s mostly farmer residents are growing corn, coconut and root crops (cassava, gabi, camote) and banana.
The farmers of the village formed into a group who bought two hectares of land and developed it into an organic farm supplying high value vegetables in Tacloban City.
An organic piggery of 75 heads, a corn mill and a farm to market road was accessed by the association.
The rehabilitation of the farm-to-market will greatly help the farmers bringing their farm produce to the main city.
Meantime, the rehabilitation of Conzoilo farm-to-market road in Jaro, Leyte worth P9.85 million is awaiting for modification.
Villa Conzoilo is an upland village seven kilometers from the poblacion of Jaro, is a budding farm-tourism destination in Leyte that has attracted both foreign and local visitors since it opened in May last year.
Villa Conzoilo, the farthest village of Jaro at the foot of Mount Amandaweng, was once a hotbed of insurgency like all its neighboring communities.
Pamana programs envisions to improve governance through partnerships with national and local institutions, building capacities or governance, and enhancement of transparency and accountability mechanisms.
It also into reducing poverty and vulnerability in conflict-affected areas through sustainable rural development, community infrastructure and focused delivery of social services.
As well as empowering communities and strengthen their capacity to address issues of conflict and peace through activities that promote social cohesion.
Veloso said that the road rehabilitation will not help reduce conflict in the area but help uplift the poor living conditions of the families.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
