PEACE EFFORTS. Officials inspect the site of a bridge project in Matuguinao, Samar in this Nov. 16, 2023 photo. The interior town in Samar province will receive P100 million to construct a bridge that will link formerly rebel-infested communities to the town center. (Photo courtesy of Matuguinao local government)
TACLOBAN CITY — The interior town of Matuguinao, Samar will receive P100 million in funding to construct a bridge that will link formerly rebel-infested communities to the town center.
In an interview Wednesday, Mayor Aran Boller said the 30-meter concrete bridge in Maduroto would start within the year, replacing a makeshift bridge set up by a contractor and repaired by the local government.
“The tall bridge will benefit thousands of residents from 12 villages. We are committed to ensuring that the construction of this bridge will not only connect our barangays but also bring sustainable development to our communities,” Boller told the Philippine News Agency.
READ: N. Samar gov’t opens P122-M Laoangan bridge to boost economic activities
The bridge is funded under the Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (Pamana) program, which is under the oversight of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity.
The structure will form part of the road connecting the towns of Matuguinao in Samar and Las Navas in Northern Samar. The upland areas of these towns are hiding places for New People’s Army (NPA) rebels.
Pamana projects have been implemented in different parts of Samar Island to address injustice and improve community access to socio-economic interventions.
Matuguinao, a 5th-class town with a population of more than 7,000 people, is one of the recipient communities of Pamana projects since some areas have been affected by armed conflict.
Of the town’s 20 villages, four are still affected by the NPA’s armed struggle, the mayor said. (PNA)