BUMPY ROAD. A portion of the damaged highway in Calbayog City, Samar province. A multi-sectoral group co-convened by the three Catholic bishops in Samar Island has asked the central government to prioritize the repair of the bumpy Maharlika Highway in Samar. (Photo courtesy of Calbayog Update)
TACLOBAN CITY – A multi-sectoral group convened by the three Catholic bishops in Samar Island has asked the national government to prioritize the repair of the rough Maharlika Highway.
Members of the Samar Island Partnership for Peace and Development (SIPPAD) recently passed a resolution addressed to the national government through the office of House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez for the immediate funding and repair of the almost 400-kilometer Maharlika highway in Samar province.
The resolution asks for the release of PHP100 million in funds for the rehabilitation of roads in the 1st district of Samar, and PHP845 million budget for the repair and maintenance of highways in the 2nd district of Samar.
Also included is the appropriation of PHP995 million in maintenance funds for the roads in the two congressional districts of Northern Samar province.
“For this common concern of the people of Samar, we continue our engagement with government agencies and consistent collaboration with them because our concern is also the concern of the people,” said Calbayog diocese Bishop Isabelo Abarquez in an interview Thursday.
Abarquez noted the importance of the section of Maharlika highway in Samar Island, considering that not only Samar residents are using the road, but also travelers by land from Mindanao and Luzon.
The DPWH field offices in Samar admitted that it is very challenging to fix the road in Samar with a very limited budget.
⁶⁵For the first district of Samar, they are only given a PHP17.9 million budget for the repair and rehabilitation of its 144 kilometers road. The budget is also intended for the maintenance of flood control structures, drainage, and public buildings.
In the second district, they are only given PHP14 million budget for the maintenance activities this year for 232-kilometer highway.
The road from Northern Samar to Southern Leyte is within the country’s nautical highway that connects Luzon to Mindanao. (PNA)
