Road projects not only improve people’s lives with increased mobility and connectivity but also provide employment opportunities to local residents.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Road Board recently launched the pilot implementation of Community Managed Road Maintenance Project (CMRMP) providing jobs for about 477 Programang Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino family- beneficiaries in Paranas, Western Samar.
More than employment opportunities, we want to develop sense of responsibility for the people as maintenance of roads is made a duty not only by the government but among the citizens traversed by the road network, said DPWH Secretary Rogelio L. Singson.
Singson explained that while it is the mandate of the DPWH to maintain national roads and bridges, the project would be an employment opportunity to the affected communities with the DSWD in-charge of identifying the beneficiaries qualified for the project.
Funding for the program is taken from the Road Board, entrusted to ensure and oversee the optimum utilization of resources for the maintenance and improvement of a safe, efficient and environmentally balanced road network, Singson added.
The organized “pakyaw” groups are contracted to maintain the initial 16 kilometer roads rehabilitated under the Secondary National Roads Development Project funded by the U.S.A. Millenium Challenge Corporation of the United States of America.
The improved 16 kilometers road traverses six (6) barangays in Paranas namely Buray, Pequit, Patag, Tabuxan, Lokilokon, and Tenani.
DPWH Assistant Secretary Emil K. Sadain who was directed by Secretary Singson to join DSWD Secretary Dinky J. Soliman at the project launch in Western Samar said that integrating citizens’ involvement encourages ownership thus, maintaining the road at its optimum level for their own benefit.