ORAS, Eastern Samar – After more than a year of concreting, the P100 million worth farm-to-market road projects implemented in eight remote villages in this town, were finally completed.
Representatives from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) central office’s Project Management Service (PMS) inspected on September 16 and 17 this year the seven completed road projects in preparation for the turnover to the recipient local government unit (LGU).
Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II (PARPO II), Randy Frogosa, an engineer assigned at PMS who headed the inspection team, said he was impressed with the implementation of the said projects which connect Barangay San Eduardo to Barangay Nadacpan; Barangay Nadacpan to Barangay Saurong; Barangay Saurong to Barangay Agsam; Barangay Agsam to Barangay Iwayan; Barangay Iwayan to Barangay Minap-os; Barangay Minap-os to Barangay Alang-Alang; and from Barangay Alang-Alang to Barangay Cadi-an.
All these projects, financed under the Agrarian Reform Fund (ARF) with a combined length of three kilometers, were implemented by the LGU.
Among the good points Frogosa mentioned was the construction of “farmers access,” even if this was not included in the plan, to protect the edge of the road from breaking down due to the passage of farm machineries and equipment.
However, Frogosa disclosed that the team also found few defects, which he considered as minor only, that need to be replaced and repaired before DAR releases the full payment and eventual turnover of the said projects.
Meanwhile, Mayor Roy Ador expressed gratitude to DAR for the trust and opportunity to implement a big-budgeted project, which according to him will strengthen their capacity to implement similar projects in the future.
He also shared that these projects will contribute much not only to the economic activities of the residents in these areas but to the peace and order situation as well considering that these villages are ELCAC (End Local Communist Armed Conflict) identified areas.
The realization of these projects, which are expected to be benefited by about ten thousand residents living in the above-mentioned villages, who had long been yearning for a better road, was through the initiative of House Minority Leader and 4Ps Party-List representative, Marcelino Libanan. (Jose Alsmith L. Soria, DAR EAstern Visayas)
