by Miriam G. Desacada
Tacloban City–Northern Samar Governor Edwin Ongchuan and Representative Harris Ongchuan (2nd district, N. Samar) met with Secretary Arsenio Balicasan of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) and discussed matters on the Samar Pacific Coastal Road (SPCR) Projects (Phases 1 and 2) in the province.
SPCR Phase 1, which is nearing completion, is the construction of the Simora-Palaoag road, while the SPCR Phase 2 involves the construction of Laoang Bridge 2 and the Calomotan-Pangpang Bridge, which still needs funding from the national government.
The Ongchuans earlier wrote to Balicasan requesting for the inclusion of the SPCR 2 in the agency’s priority-funded programs for 2023-2028.
It was learned that House Speaker Martin Romualdez (1st dist., Leyte) had endorsed the project to the Regional Development Council of Eastern Visayas.
The governor and the congressman of Northern Samar have been lobbying for support from the national government for the two SPCR projects.
They contended that the projects will improve access for delivery of goods and services to Northern Samar, and in turn stimulate economic growth of the province, while bringing the government closer to the people and make irrelevant the insurgency and propaganda espoused by the terrorists.
The governor told the media that their visit to the NEDA secretary is one vital step towards realization of the SPCR 2 project, which was designed to connect the Pacific towns of the province to mainland Samar and the rest of the country. —Miriam G. Desacada