The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is continuing the momentum of infrastructure development in the country with the partial opening of a major component of the Samar Pacific Coastal Road Project in Eastern Visayas.
DPWH Undersecretary and Build Build Build Program Chief Implementer Emil K. Sadain and Northern Samar Governor Edwin Marino C. Ongchuan led on Monday, June 27, 2022 the ceremonial opening of the 161-meter Simora Bridge and approach and the first 8-kilometer new concrete paved two-lane two-way road from Junction Simora along Simora-Palapag Road in Northern Samar.
Undersecretary Sadain in his report to Acting Secretary Roger G. Mercado said that the opening of Simora Bridge and the initial 8-kilometer of concrete road will facilitate better access to some 80 percent of the 1,411 household with 5,538 population mostly engaged in coconut and rice farming covering nine (9) barangays with 1,274 hectares of land traversed by the project in the remote coastal municipalities of Palapag, Laoang and Catubig in Northern Samar.
The opening event was also attended by Major General Edgardo V. De Leon of Philippine Army – Eastern Visayas 8 Infantry Division; Philippine National Police (PNP) Northern Samar Provincial Director Police Colonel Alfredo J. Tadefa; Congressman-elect Harris Christopher M. Ongchuan of Northern Samar 2nd District; DPWH Project Director Sharif Madsmo H. Hasim; Project Manager Teresita V. Bauzon; Laoang Mayor Hector Ongchuan; Palapag Mayor Florencio Batula; Catubig Mayor Galahad O. Vivencio; DPWH Northern Samar 2nd OIC District Engineer Charlito S. Carlobos; and other local government officials.
“After four (4) years of challenging construction, the partial opening of the Samar Pacific Coastal Road is a huge step to the realization of vision to provide comfortable and improved interconnectivity that will support sustainable agricultural development, and contribute to food self-sufficiency program and in sustaining peace and development efforts in Northern Samar,” added Undersecretary Sadain.
The onset of the pandemic and inclement weather condition in Eastern Visayas brought major hurdles in the construction, delaying the target full completion of the Samar Pacific Coastal Road which is one of the 119 infrastructure flagship projects under the Build Build Build Program.
About 29 typhoons has affected the project since it was started in May 2018 but DPWH together with its contractor Ilsung Construction Co., Ltd. of Korea in partnership Pacific Concrete Products stayed focus to deliver government’s promise in connecting people and places.
Committed to fully complete the total 11.60-kilometer new two-lane road, the construction of remaining 3-kilometer concrete road with two (2) other small bridges are on-going wih the 31-meter Jangtud Bridge 1 at 66 percent and 69-meter Jangtud Bridge 2 at 40 percent.
The coastal road project costing ₱1.126 billion will link the “Pacific Towns” in Northern Samar. The project starts at the Simora Junction, and traverses to the remote coastal villages of Laoang, Catubig, and Palapag.
With funding assistance from the Republic of Korea, through Export-Import Bank of Korea (KEXIM), the road coastal project is being implemented by the DPWH Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Operations headed by Undersecretary Sadain with UPMO Roads Management Cluster II Project Director Hasim and Project Manager Bauzon as project in-charge.
With multiple boat rides the only option to reach one town to another, the people of Northern Samar led by Governor Ongchuan expressed their deepest gratitude to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte for bringing a lasting legacy of connecting the northern and eastern parts of Samar thru land travel.
The project was also aptly supported by the distinguished Representatives of Northern Samar in Congress namely Congressman Paul Daza and outgoing Congressman Jose L. Ong Jr., as well as the gallant men and women of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and PNP.
This road complement and eventually establish the Samar Island circumferential road that is seen to bring much-needed community development in these small towns and overall economic progress in the province, said Undersecretary Sadain.
