A concreted PHP90-million road project, completed this month, was formally turned over to the local officials of San Miguel, Surigao del Sur on Monday.
The eight-kilometer road project connects the Barangays of Carromata and Calatngan in San Miguel to market centers in Surigao del Sur.
Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) Secretary Carlito Galvez, along with Surigao del Sur Governor Johnny Pimentel and San Miguel Mayor Michael Corilla, conducted the project handover.
Galvez also led the groundbreaking of another road-concreting project, costing PHP50 million and stretching 12 kilometers, which will connect Barangays Bagyang and Bitaugan in San Miguel.
“These projects will directly serve more than 7,000 Manobo families not only in four indigenous peoples (IP) barangays in San Miguel, namely Carromata, Calatngan, Bagyang, and Bitaugan, but also in neighboring villages,” Datu Rico Maca, the IP Mandatory Representative of San Miguel, said in an interview on Tuesday.
He said over 90 percent of the IP residents in these barangays are farmers engaged in abaca, coconut, corn, and root crop production.
“We are thankful to the government for providing the IP communities with improved market access, as our farmers can now transport agricultural products more efficiently to market centers, with reduced spoilage and expenses,” Maca said.
Datu Albert Montenegro, the tribal chieftain of Carromata, said the road projects will improve social services for their communities.
“This means enhanced government service delivery to our communities, better health services, and improved education access,” Montenegro said.
He added that students from interior communities can now travel safely and easily to schools in town centers in Surigao del Sur.
The road projects were implemented under the government’s Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA) program.
PAMANA is the government’s flagship program for peace and development in conflict-affected areas, implemented through infrastructure and livelihood projects. (PNA)
