BORONGAN CITY -- The Department of Public Works and Highways is set to implement 122 infrastructure projects in Eastern Samar amounting to P5,035,909,000 based on the approved General Appropriation Act of 2022.
District Engineer Ma. Margarita C. Junia said during a press briefing that among the 122 projects, the DPWH Eastern Samar District Engineering Office will implement 121 projects amounting to P4.78 billion while other projects will be implemented by the DPWH Regional Office VIII amounting to P250 million.
The district engineer said that the P5-B budget is composed of the following programs: P2.447-B for asset preservation that will ensure safe and reliable national road system which includes preventive maintenance of national roads, rehabilitation of national roads by construction of slope protection and drainage, road widening, construction of bypass roads and missing links, and rehabilitation of national bridges; P528.265-M for the construction of 15 flood control structures to protect lives and properties against major floods; P2.04B for the Convergence and Special Support Program which includes access roads leading to Declared Tourism Destination, Improvement of Capacity of Provincial Bridges along Provincial Roads, Special Road Fund-Motor Vehicle User’s Charge (MVUC) as per R.A. 11239, Sustainable Infrastructure Projects Alleviating Gaps (Sipag) which will implement access roads and bridges from national road leading to major/strategic public buildings or facilities, and Basic Infrastructure Program such as access roads, flood mitigation structure protecting public infrastructure facilities, evacuation centers, and multi-purpose buildings to support social services; and P20-M for local program which is the construction of another DPWH building.
DE Junia also informed the big-ticket projects of the district office such as the Borongan Diversion Road (P100-M); Maydolong-Basey Road (P50-M); Arteche, Brgy. Catumsan-Jipapad-Las Navas-Catubig-Rawis Road (P35-M) and Can-avid-Dolores-Maslog Road (P100-M) are also included in the lined-up projects this year.
“Also, to be implemented this year are the construction of Bigo Bridge in Arteche, Eastern Samar amounting to P100-M which will address the road closure of the national road at Brgy. Bigo, Arteche during a flood, while the other one is the Pagnamitan Bridge along Guiuan-Sulangan-Peninsula Road amounting to P100-M, while 11 existing national bridges are also set to be repaired this year amounting to P11 million,” Junia added.
The district engineer also said they will start to implement road widening projects from two-lane road to four-lane road along road sections of the national road that have no road right of way issues.
“All the national roads in Region VIII are already four lanes aside from Eastern Samar. So, it’s about time to widen our road and to start this year the road widening projects to road sections that are free from obstructions with an initial fund allocation of P90 million,” said Junia.
Junia disclosed that the district office is already conducting the pre-detailed engineering and the early procurement activities of the projects, which started as early as November 2021.
“These 122 lined-up infrastructure projects once implemented, will be a great help to Eastern Samar and will also improve the economic activities of the province,” Junia added. (NBQ/DPWH-ESDEO)
