TACLOBAN CITY- The threat of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) will not hamper for them to continue their road projects.
Thus said Emilda Bonifacio, area manager of the Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (Pamana)whose projects are mainly located in remote and isolated areas.
Bonifacio said that infrastructure project such as road network is very important not only in times of calamity but also during health crisis such as the current problem on COVID-19 pandemic.
“Accessibility is important in responding to crisis like what we are facing now. We have specific funds for COVID-19 response but this doesn’t mean that we should not continue funding our road projects. How are we going to respond if there is an emergency,” she said.
With efficient access road responding to the needs of patients or transporting patients to a medical facility will be efficient if there is a good access road, Bonifacio stressed.
Bonifacio cites Matuguinao town in Samar province as an example which was only accessible by a five-hour boat ride from Gandara town but could now be reached by less than an hour after their agency funded a road project there.
Pamana has also funded a road project in San Jose de Buan town which is rendered isolated to the rest of Samar province during heavy rains.
Bonifacio added that aside from transporting patients to medical facility, road network is also important in this time of pandemic due to on-going constructions of isolation and quarantine facilities as part of COVID-19 response.
Without road, bringing construction materials will be hard for the project to start, she said.
Bonifacio added that even without pandemic, road is important in bringing services and delivery of farm produce to the markets.
Bonifacio then ask everyone to acknowledge and recognize the effort that the government is doing for the residents living in remote barangays.
Since 2011, the national government has downloaded more than P4.8 billion to the region for funding various infrastructure projects undertaken by Pamana.
At present, there are four on-going road construction projects of the agency which includes the Motiong (Samar)-Silvino Lobos (Northern Samar) road and 14 other multi-year implementation project which includes a bridge in Silvino Lobos.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
