Government sets aside P300M for Samar coastal road project

SOME P300-million fund was set aside by the central government this year for the implementation of P1.6 billion concreting of the Samar Pacific Coastal Road to be funded by the Korean government.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Regional Director Rolando Asis said the preparatory works between two countries is now in progress to ensure smooth implementation by mid 2013 of the road network that will connect Northern Samar and Eastern Samar.

The 44 kilometers (km) of the road network is already concrete through previous funding from the national government. In addition, the Korean Export-Import bank loan will finance the 28-km to concentrate the Northern Samar Pacific towns while the Philippine government committed to upgrade 37-km of bad roads in Eastern Samar sections, which makes it a total of 109-kilometer road that stretches in the towns of Laoang, Palapag, Mapanas, Gamay, Lapinig in Northern Samar; Arteche and San Policarpo.

The funding request was approved January 2012 shortly after Korean officials inspected the site last year. The Philippine government endorsed the project early in 2009 for consideration of Korea’s Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) run by Seoul-based Korea Export-Import Bank, which operates as an official export credit agency that provides export credit and guarantee programs to support Korean enterprises in conducting overseas business.

“The Samar Pacific Coastal Road is the longest stretch of unpaved road in the region. The target is to concrete this road network on or before 2016, as instructed by the President,” Asis told Leyte Samar Daily Express.

The present condition of the most part of coastal road only allows motorcycle to pass by the area and transport system is largely dependent on the use of pump boats, according to DPWH records.

Asis said that road improvement along the coastal road will increase traffic between Borongan City, Eastern Samar’s capital, and the municipality of Catarman, Northern Samar’s capital, especially that the project will complete the circumferential road loop for the Samar Island.

Last year, the DPWH estimated the project to cost a total of P3.2 billion, involving concrete paving and widening of gravel roads as well as construction of flood control structures and rehabilitation or replacement of 20 bridges. (Leyte Samar Daily Express)