DAVAO ORIENTAL— Villagers of three hinterland villages in the City of Mati say they are brimming with hope as the set construction of a concrete road in their villages signals the beginning of the realization of their dream to connect their hinterland villages to the economic center of the City of Mati.

On February 6, Governor Nelson Dayanghirang together with Second District Representative Joel Mayo Almario led the groundbreaking ceremony for the road concreting of the Dawan-Macambol road section, which covers the package one of the National Highway Junction (NHJ) Dawan-Mamali-Macambol-Magum-Cabuaya road project.

The said project, poised to provide more accessibility and ease of access for the villagers, will serve as a direct route from the City of Mati’s economic center to the remote villages of Lanca, Luban, and Cabuaya – three villages which are considered geographically isolated because of the mountain ranges which separates them from the city proper.

Locals, who, for years, traverse the two municipalities of Governor Generoso and San Isidro before getting to the economic center of the City of Mati, say they are thrilled about the project since it signals the realization of their dream for easier access.

Funded under the National Expenditure Program through the Second District Congressional Office, the package one covers a total length of 6.8 kilometers costing to P272 million. It includes the improvement of the NHJ, construction of center island at NHJ, construction of concrete sidewalk, installation of street lights at NHJ, construction of 230 millimeters concrete road, construction of lined canal and other drainage structure, installation of guardrails, installation of road signs and hazard markers, application of reflectorized thermoplastic pavement markings, and, removal, furnishing and transplanting of trees.

Meanwhile, another groundbreaking ceremony was held on February 8 for the package two of the same project which covers the Magum-Cabuaya road. With a project cost of P239.2 million, “the total length and other inclusions of package two are yet to be determined by the regional office as the location of the road section to be concreted has been changed in order to give priority for the construction of the landslide-prone portion of Panumbayon— the boundary of Barangay Lanca and Luban, which is prone to accidents due to its steepness,” explained District Engineer Jane Cainghog, who represented DPWH Regional Director Engineer Allan Borromeo.  

The entire project, with the inclusion of packages one and two, costs P511.2 million. Both packages will be implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Regional Office.

While billions of pesos worth of funding is still needed, on top of the several years of construction, in order to complete the Magum-Cabuaya road since ground works for road opening is yet to be implemented, Governor Dayanghirang said he has directed the Provincial Engineer’s Office (PEO) to start the road opening using the equipment of the provincial government.

“Together with Second District Representative Almario and Mayor Michelle Rabat, we will work together to get additional funding because we have felt the burden you have been experiencing for a long time especially during emergencies, or when you need to avail services from the government. But as of now, we have decided to fund the concreting of the existing roads,” he said, noting that currently, there is an existing 48 kilometers road ready for concreting out of the total 68 kilometers from Barangay Dawan to Barangay Cabuaya, with long stretches of road that are yet to be opened.  

He said that the completion of the entire project would mean residents will no longer need to traverse the national highway along the towns of Governor Generoso and San Isidro in order to get to the city proper of Mati. In addition, with its beautiful beach lines and breathtaking sceneries, local tourism and economic activity in these communities will be given a huge boost.

Moreover, PEO OIC Engineer Ruel Dumadag said that the project will cut travel time from grueling four to five hours to just more than an hour. “This road section will improve connectivity, accessibility, and mobility. Connectivity, in a sense that we can directly travel to Barangay Cabuaya. Also, it can be an alternate route from the Municipality of Governor Generoso to the City of Mati. Accessibility means that the government’s social services can easily reach the areas,” he added.

Village Chief of the recipient barangays have expressed their heartfelt thanks to Gov. Dayanghirang and Rep. Almario for finally addressing the residents’ major plight. They said that the project will have a major impact in their lives, especially in welcoming development in their area.

City Mayor Rabat also recognized the unified efforts of the two top officials. Of the P1.4 billion total allocation secured by Gov. Dayanghirang which was backed by Rep. Almario, about 80 percent of the budget has been poured down to the City of Mati. “Please let us know how the City government can help in this project,” she said.

Meanwhile, Rep. Almario asked the cooperation of the barangay leaders and the villagers for the successful implementation of the program, especially that many crops and properties will be affected with the road construction and widening. He added that once the project is completed, he will pass a bill that will make the said road a National Highway so that the DPWH will have to fund for its maintenance. Moreover, he assured that contractors of the project will hire laborers from the locals.

“A concrete-paved road is one of the reasons why investors would come in. There will be an influx of tourists, the business sector will become vibrant and employment opportunity will increase. In five years, though the road concreting may not yet reach Barangay Cabuaya, but rest assured that the road will eventually get here,” said Rep. Almario. By Riza M. Golez/Photos by Eden Jhan Licayan and Rhea Shane Laureano