NEW LINK. A portion of the newly concreted road in Basey, Samar leading to Maydolong, Eastern Samar. The Department of Public Works and Highways is seeking a PHP1.40 billion fund to fully complete the new highway that links Samar to Eastern Samar province, reducing travel time between two cities by two hours. (Photo courtesy of DPWH Region 8)
PALO, Leyte – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is seeking a PHP1.40 billion fund to fully complete the new highway that links Samar to Eastern Samar province, reducing travel time between two cities by two hours.
In a press briefing Tuesday, DPWH Eastern Visayas Regional Director Tabacon said they hope to complete the entire road opening and concreting project before the end of the term of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
From 2016 to 2024, some PHP933.57 million has been allotted by the central government for the project out of the PHP2.74-billion budget requirement.
The released budget allowed the DPWH to open and concrete 22.21 kilometers of road traversing mountains between two Samar provinces.
“This project will link the provinces of Eastern Samar and Samar provinces and will serve as the shortest route from Tacloban City to Borongan City. This reduces the travel time from four hours (via Basey-Marabut-Balangiga Road) to two hours (via Basey-Maydolong Road),” Tabacon told reporters during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas press briefing led by the Presidential Communications Office.
The project is a continuation of the tourism road leading to Borongan-Llorente Closed Canopy in Eastern Samar province and San Juanico-Basey-Sohoton Road in Samar province.
To date, travelers from Eastern Samar have two road options to get to Tacloban City – the Paranas-Taft Road and the Borongan-Quinapundan-Lawaan-Marabut-Basey Road.
Borongan is 190 kilometers away from Tacloban through the existing shortest route, passing the towns of Basey and Marabut before reaching the Eastern Samar border.
This road will also ease the accessibility problem during heavy rainfall when the Buray-Taft Road is closed to traffic due to floods and landslides.
The Basey-Maydolong Road on the Samar side passes through Wespal village in Basey town, where two of the top tourist destinations in Basey town are situated. These are the jump-off areas to Sohoton Cave and the entrance to Balantak Falls.
Basey town is just 42 kilometers away from Tacloban, the regional capital, while Maydolong town is only 21 kilometers away from Borongan, the capital of Eastern Samar province.
Meanwhile, Tabacon said they have recently conducted a joint inspection with officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to identify the site where gantry facilities will be installed.
“Gantry facilities will indicate and remind the public that they are traversing an environmentally protected area and that no settlers will be allowed,” he said.
The DPWH will also build a viewing deck in one of the road sections since the project is expected to become an eco-tourism destination.
Most of the project site traverses the Samar Island Natural Park (SINP). SINP is the largest contiguous tract of old-growth forest in the Philippines and the country’s largest terrestrial protected area. (With reports from Jhessa A. Cajeras, OJT/PNA)
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