Leyte gov’t cites gains from proposed road project

CARIGARA, Leyte, Feb. 15 (PNA) -– The Leyte provincial government is backing the plan to open a new road from Jaro town to Ormoc City in a bid to enhance access from the central part of the province to western Leyte’s trading center.

Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla said that he already submitted a draft resolution to the Regional Development Council (RDC) for endorsement of funding request for the construction of the new road network.

“This will greatly benefit not only the residents in upland villages of Jaro town and Ormoc City, but also to commuters and traders,” said Petilla, who is also the RDC Eastern Visayas chair.

The 20-kilometer road will stretch from Rubas village in Jaro and will end in Lake Danao in Ormoc’s upland area.

Current distance from Tacloban to Ormoc City is around 105 kilometers or a travel time of about two hours. The new road will cut the distance from Tacloban to Ormoc by 65 kilometers, reducing travel time by an hour.

DPWH 2nd Leyte Engineering District chief Carlos Veloso said that the project will spur economic activities in the upland villages and tourism activities in Lake Danao.

The road will also help curb insurgency in remote villages where operation of New People’s Army is concentrated.

“Since we don’t have funding yet, we’re doing a feasibility study for us to present this to Secretary Rogelio Singson that this road is feasible alternate road for the Palo-Carigara-Ormoc Road,” Veloso said.

Road concreting is now on-going from Jaro town to Rubas village, according to Veloso, adding that there is an existing trail from Jaro to Ormoc accessible to single motorcycles.

Aside from the Jaro-Ormoc road, there is also a proposal for the construction of the Jaro-San Juanico road as an alternate road from central Leyte directly going to San Juanico Bridge in Tacloban City, passing through the towns of Alang-alang, Sta. Fe, Palo and some parts of Tacloban, Petilla told reporters. (PNA)
LAP/SQM/ROEL T. AMAZONA/EGR