ARTECHE, Eastern Samar (PIA) — Minority Leader and 4Ps Party-list Representative Marcelino Libanan led the groundbreaking and time capsule-laying ceremony of two road projects in this town on August 18.
According to Arteche Mayor Roland Boie Evardone, the road projects will lead to an increase in the economic activity of the whole municipality as the upstream barangays of Cagsalay, Concepcion, Tawagan, among others, will soon be connected to the national highway leading to the town center.
Evardone shared that despite the boat ride, the residents in these upstream barangays prefer purchasing their basic needs in the town of Oras because there is no road that leads to Arteche’s town center.
“Aside from accessibility, the roads will also be of great help in transporting their agricultural products and in transporting the residents during emergencies,” Evardone added.
The first road project is the P45.304 million construction of road from Brgy. Tebalawon to Brgy. Tawagan being implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways Regional Office 8 (DPWH-8).
The project, which is under the Sustainable Infra Project Alleviating Gaps (SIPAG), started construction on July 5, 2024 and is expected to be completed within 240 calendar days, or on March 1, 2025.
The project includes the construction of a 720 meters long concrete road, starting from Brgy. Tebalawon and will end in Brgy. Tawagan.
The other one is the P48.199 million road project from Brgy. Bigo (Sitio Kabay-angan) to Brgy. Concepcion to Brgy. Cagsalay which includes the opening and concreting of 560 meters of road which is also implemented by DPWH-8 under SIPAG.
The construction started on July 5, 2024 and is expected to be completed within 250 calendar days or on March 11, 2025.
The funds for the two road projects are from the FY 2024 of the General Appropriations Act (GAA), through the initiative of Rep. Libanan.
In his message, Libanan gave assurance that he will continue the road projects in Arteche until all of the upstream barangays will be connected to the national road.
In an interview with the media, Libanan shared that he is pushing funding for the construction of the Allen-San Juanico Bridge for next year.
For Samar Island, Libanan said he will allocate funding for the completion of the Maydolong-Basey road, which still has 11 kilometers of unfunded portion.
Also present during the groundbreaking ceremony were Vice Mayor Rolando Evardone and the representative of Gov. Ben P. Evardone, Board Member Philip ‘PJ’ Evardone, who assured that the provincial government is working hard to improve the standard of living of all Estehanons. (VTG, PIA Eastern Samar)
