DAVAO ORIENTAL— The set construction of road projects in two Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs) in the City of Mati is anticipated to give locals a boost in terms of their livelihood while helping shape more peaceful communities.

Villagers of Sitio Licop in Barangay Sainz and Barangay Tagbinonga welcomed the new development during the series of groundbreaking ceremony held in the two villages on Tuesday, January 14.

Governor Nelson Dayanghirang led the two groundbreaking ceremonies together with Second District Representative Joel Mayo Almario, whom the Governor thanked for securing the funding for the project under the 2020 National Expenditure Program.

Both projects will be implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways Regional Office.

Gov. Dayanghirang said the road projects, which will serve as the people’s link to the economic center, is bent not only on boosting the farmers’ income by improving road connectivity but also serve as a symbol of the government’s commitment to the people.

“With the concrete-paved roads, farmers will be encouraged to plant more. They will be able to maximize their income and bring their harvest to the market easily,” he said.

Gov. Dayanghirang said that the construction of these new road project is in connection to the Provincial Government’s thrust on peace and order. “That’s why all our road concreting projects are directed toward the hinterland areas,” he added.

The 6-kilometer road upgrading from Sitio Licop connecting to Barangay San Isidro in Lupon town has a total funding of P167 million.

Provincial Engineer’s Office OIC Engr. Ruel Dumadag said that “as part of the road network looping, residents in this area don’t need to travel back to the City of Mati in order to get to the adjacent municipality.”

He added that the road network looping consists of a circumferential road in the mountain ranges connected to other municipalities and barangays. “So, this one is connected to the ongoing Badas-Sanghay-Culian-San Isidro-New Visayas-Macangao road. This will also link Taguibo road or Buso-Tagbinonga-Paypay-Don Salavador road in the City of Mati to Sitio Calinawan Manay,” explains Dumadag.

Meanwhile, the 5-kilometer road project in Barangay Tagbinonga, with a total cost of P334 million will link roads in Sitio Paypay, Cangusan, and Don Salvador in going to the City of Mati. It will also serve as a link to the road going to Sitio Tiombocan – a hinterland Sitio in the municipality of Lupon, and connect to Sitio Calinawan, the most hinterland part of the municipality of Manay. The said road has two bridge components measuring 45 meters long each.

District Engineer Jane Cainghog, who represented DPWH Regional Director Engr. Allan Borromeo, explained that the road upgrading in Tagbinonga was divided into two phases so that the Regional Office of the DPWH can still undertake the project. She said that the funding for the initial phase has been downloaded to the department and that they are only awaiting instruction from the Central Office for the contractors to start the project.

Barangay Sainz Chairman Edgar Valera, who listed scores of benefits through the project, said that the residents in Sitio Licop can now feel that “they are not left behind” by the development efforts of the province. As pronounced by Second District Rep. Almario, the contractors are instructed to hire laborers from the recipient community.

“Thank you so much, Governor Dayanghirang, for you really have the heart to help the people. Cong. Almario started the road concreting going here and now you will complete the project. Since 1994 this barangay has been neglected—there was no electricity, and the road was unpaved which did not only cause difficulty in transporting our harvest but also costed us high fares. We have long been dreaming of a concrete road, and now its finally going to happen,” he said.

He urged the residents to do their part in the implementation of the project by “protecting it” and further urged those who will be affected by the project to cooperate.

Also present during the ceremonies are other local government officials and officers from the DPWH. Photos by Eden Jhan Licayan