Northwest Leyte 2016 infra projects construction in full swing

ORMOC CITY, Leyte, Aug. 10 (PNA) -- The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Leyte 4th district engineering office has attained an accomplishment rate of 73.84 percent in the implementation of regular infrastructure projects for 2016.

This was reported by District Engineer Lino Francisco Gonzales, who said that the figure is 5.93 percent above their target accomplishment of 67 percent for January to July this year.

Of the 63 regular projects in northwest Leyte, 51 have been completed and 11 are ongoing while only one has yet to start, which is the widening of Ormoc’s Anilao Bridge worth Php60 million. Gonzales expects that ongoing projects worth Php20 to Php50 million to be completed by end of this month.

For ongoing projects worth Php50 million above, the district office is targeting these to be finished by December 2016 or January next year with the exception of the Gaas-Quezon Jr. road opening that was inaugurated only last month. Worth Php128.215 million, the road opening is located in Ormoc’s hinterlands and stretches nine kilometers.

However, only six kilometers have so far been opened and only half of the supposed 10-12 meters width because of the continued tree-cutting activities. The DEO has secured the approval of the environment department to clear 3,000 trees to give way to the project.

Gonzales mentioned their other projects including 11 farm-to-market roads (FMR), five of which are completed located in Libertad, Bantigue, San Jose and RM Tan, all in Ormoc, and Catuhaon in Palompon town. These FMRs have almost the same length of 210 meters and project cost of Php2 million.

Another FMR, the Php10million San Dionesio-Masaba road stretching 700 meters in Matag-ob town, is targeted for turnover on September 16. Some Php17 million is released for the repair and maintenance of drainage systems along the highways of Ormoc City as well as Kananga and Palompon towns.

The district office has 20 school building projects this year that are 33 percent completed, which is six percent ahead of the 27 percent target completion. It also installed 20 rain collection systems worth Php100 million in schools and village halls in Ormoc and the towns of Albuera, Palompon and Merida. Each collecting tank has a 1,200-liter capacity. (PNA)
PGL/SQM/FELIX N. CODILLA/EGR