DAVAO ORIENTAL – Three sitios in the hinterland village of PM Sobrecarey in the municipality of Caraga have recently received solar lights from the provincial government.
No less than the Governor Nelson Dayanghirang handed over nine solar lights to the following sitios: Sitio Palo received four solar lights while Sitio Dangilas received three solar lights, and Sitio Maglahos received two.
Residents of these sitios which have no access to electricity say they are grateful for the kind gesture of the provincial government.
During his visit, Governor Dayanghirang also took the time to inspect the areas for the province’s planned road project in Sitio Maglahos which will connect to Sitio Butay in Barangay Pichon, also situated in the municipality of Caraga.
Sitio Butay, the farthest Sitio in Barangay Pichon, can only be reached by foot. A couple of weeks ago, the provincial government also handed over solar lights to Sitio Butay residents wherein its representatives saw firsthand the hapless situation in the said sitio. Residents there have to walk more than 8 hours just to reach the village proper.
Currently, these areas are only connected to the nearby sitios by treacherous mountain trails. The provincial government, through the road project, hopes to change this situation as these three sitios in PM Sobrecarey will be connected to Sitio Butay.
The road project, said Governor Dayanghirang, will open up new opportunities not only for the said Sitios to be traversed by the road but also the other hinterland communities. Moreover, more opportunities will be opened up as this road will eventually connect to the municipality of Maragusan in the province of Davao de Oro.
“With this road project, your products can easily be transported. I really hope that this will pave the way for a more vibrant economic activity, especially for the town of Caraga,” said Governor Dayanghirang.
Governor Dayanghirang said the provincial government, through its Governance Framework prioritizes the Indigenous People’s communities in the ancestral domain for government intervention. This program is also anchored to the national government’s program to end the local Communist insurgency considering that IP communities are vulnerable to armed conflict given their geographical location which is mostly in the hinterlands.
“Our intention is to go to the barangays regardless of the distance and reach out to the people more, we are determined more than ever to help, and just bear in mind always that the government is also ever ready to serve you,” he added.
Punong Barangay Lourdes Basta of Barangay PM Sobrecarey said the villagers are overwhelmed upon seeing top political leaders in their village vowing to provide much-needed interventions of the residents. “We have every reason to be happy because we now have these solar lights. We really appreciate Gov. Dayanghirang for personally coming over here to tell us about the planned road project. This means that the government really care for us,” she said.
With the relentless efforts of the government troops, the municipality of Caraga and its hinterland sitios have been enjoying a good peace and order situation.
Lt. Col. Roman Maborang, Batallion, Commander of the 66th Infantry Batallion of the Philippine Army has vowed to continue to do their part to safeguard the peace and order in the area. “As your partner for peace and development, we will ensure to make this place secure and safe for you. We are happy to be a part of the development team of Davao Oriental,” he said.
During his visit, Gov. Dayanghirang was joined by Vice Governor Niño Uy, Senior Board Member Nelson “JR” Dayanghirang, Provincial Administrator Art Benjie Bulaong, with local officials of Caraga. By Neela Duallo/Photos by Eden Jhan Licayan
