FILE PHOTO: A fishing boat cruises along a marine protected area in Halian Island, one of the new attractions that tourists may visit in Del Carmen town on Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte province. —ERWIN M.MASCARIÑAS
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has completed its 1.16-kilometer road widening project in Siargao in Surigao del Norte.
DPWH Region 13 Director Pol Delos Santos said Tuesday the road improvement seeks to ease the mobility of people and goods on the island which was battered by Typhoon Odette in 2021.
“We experienced first-hand the difficulty of reaching our kababayans during relief operations because the roads were narrow and blocked with debris after the onslaught of Typhoon Odette,” delos Santos said in a statement.
“The recent completion of the road widening project will definitely ensure ease in mobility of people and goods, especially during emergency,” he added.
Delos Santos said the widening along Jct. National Road-Antipolo-Tuboran-Quezon-Mabini Road in Siargao Island included the concreting of the road shoulder and line canal and clearing of the right-of-way.
Delos Santos said that with the project, a larger volume of traffic can now be accommodated, and the safety and vehicle maneuverability of motorists passing by can now be ensured.
According to the DPWH, the project was implemented by Surigao del Norte 1st District Engineering Office with a budget allocation amounting to P16 million.
Earlier in December, Typhoon Odette made its landfall over Siargao in Surigao del Norte – one of the popular tourist destinations in the country – which shattered the island and left two people dead and property destruction worth billions. — Nicole Faye Agcaoili, INQUIRER.net intern
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