PAVED ROAD. A farmer in del Pilar village in Maydolong, Eastern Samar walks on a newly-paved road designed to link Tacloban City to Borongan City through a shorter route in this undated photo. The ongoing construction of Maydolong-Basey Road has been benefitting upland communities in Eastern Samar. (PNA photo by Roel Amazona)
MAYDOLONG, Eastern Samar – Gone are the days when residents of an upland village have to walk along a muddy road and ride a boat for hours to get to the town center with the ongoing construction of Maydolong-Basey Road designed to link two Samar provinces.
Reynaldo Ladiao, 60, who has been living in the upland Del Pilar village since he was born, said that this is his first time seeing a paved road in their community.
“Our farm produce can reach the town easily unlike before where we have to hike for an hour to the river bank then ride motorboat for two to three hours to get to the town center to sell our products,” Ladiao told the Philippine News Agency (PNA).
With the continuing groundwork for the Maydolong-Basey road, concreted portions have already reached their community, allowing vehicles to access them efficiently.
“With this road, we can save up to PHP1,000 from transportation costs and buyers are ensured that our products are fresh and not damaged,” he said.
Students of Del Pilar village are also happy about the new road link as they can go to school regularly.
Karen Ladiao, 18, said she used to walk for two to three hours daily just to attend her classes at the nearest high school.
“Now we have the option to ride a motorcycle to get to school,” she said in a separate interview.
A senior high school student at Maydolong National High School, Ladiao shared that during her junior high days, the teacher dismissed them at 2 p.m. so they could reach their homes before dark.
This dilemma on accessibility has discouraged older residents of Del Pilar not to pursue studies, just like Karen’s parents.
Her mother, Maria, 48 shares that because of poverty and problem with accessibility, she preferred helping her parents doing farm work when she was still young.
“I did not want that to happen to my children, that is why if possible, I wanted my youngest child to finish her study and earn a degree,” her mother said, saying her seven other children finished high school but were unable to go to college due to financial constraints.
Earlier, House Minority Floor Leader and 4Ps Party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan said the road project will fast-track development in poor areas.
The party list has lobbied for the release of PHP337 million for the road opening and concreting in the upland villages of Basey and Maydolong towns.
Currently, travelers from Eastern Samar have two road options to get to Tacloban City -- Paranas-Taft Road and 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.
Basey town is 42 kilometers away from Tacloban, the regional capital, while Maydolong town is 21 kilometers away from Borongan, the capital of Eastern Samar province.
Since 2013, the Department of Public Works and Highways has been opening and concreting the road from its regular budget, from the Department of Tourism for roads leading to tourism destinations, and National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict for roads leading to conflict-stricken communities. (PNA)
