NAVAL, Biliran -- The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)- Biliran District Engineering Office (DEO) has completed the P46.5-M road improvement project in support of Anislagan Ceramics Producers Association (ACPA) in Naval town.
The said project involves the road concreting from Brgy. Villa Caneja to Brgy. Anislagan connecting ACPA with a road length of 1.6 kilometers, a thickness of 0.28 meter and a width of 6.7 meter, with drainage and slope protection structures.
According to OIC-District Engineer Alfredo L. Bollido, the completed project will provide a faster and safer movement of products, not only from Anislagan Ceramics Producers Association (ACPA), but also of the villages’ farm produced-products to the market center in the progressive town of Naval and to the nearby urban areas.
“This will greatly help the association to increase their production and earn higher income. The road will also benefit the residents of Brgy. Caneja and Brgy. Anislagan to have a convenient travel,” said Bollido.
Marcelina Areglo, 84, resident of Brgy. Villa Caneja said before the road project, the place was a muddy wilderness and only people and carabaos can only pass through.
"Lisud kaayo ang kinabuhi namo niari, dili me makaadto sa among trabaho nga dili magsakay ug kabaw, magsakay jud ug kabaw kay lapok man, lisud kaayo oy’ nga dili pa semento kay lapok man kaayo, maglisud man ang tawo pag-agi kay lapok," Areglo said. (Life was difficult then and riding carabao was the only means of transportation in going to work because it was too slippery to walk on wet soil. Only people and carabao can pass through this muddy wilderness.)
Areglo added that because of the difficult road, children were no longer interested to go to school.
“Dili man maka-eskwela ang bata kay puros man lapok ilang bado, labi na ug mag-uwan unya bahaan sila, mao nang dili maka-eskwela,” said Areglo. (Kids then had lost interest in studying because they cannot go to school without their clothes getting dirty and muddy and flooding during rainy days just make it worse.)
"Maayo gyud may ada na semento kay di naman lapok ganahan naman ang mga bata pag-eskwela, maayo gani may kali, wa nay baha muagi. Nalipay gyud ko kay maayo naman pag-agi. Pasalamat ko sa nagsemento sa DPWH.," she added. (Now that we have a better access road, kids would now love to go to school because it is no longer muddy and there is no more flooding because of the presence of the drainage structures. I am grateful to the DPWH for this road project.)
The said project is implemented by DPWH in convergence with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) under its 2022 Roads Leveraging Linkages for Industry and Trade Infrastructure (ROLL-IT) Program.
Meanwhile, another project under the ROLL-IT Program is expected to be completed within the year. This project is the P48.3-M construction of access road leading to trades, industries and economic zones, NRJ Agpangi connecting to Sitio Pongon road in support of the food and resource-based processing in Naval.
To date, this project has an accomplishment of 87.26% and is target to be completed by December, 2022. (DPWH-BDEO)
