By Miriam G. Desacada
Tacloban City-In his first official visit to Northern Samar since the 2022 elections, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (PBBM) finally inaugurated the Samar Pacific Coastal Road Project (SPCR) on Friday (July 14) in a ceremony held at Barangay Simora in the coastal town of Palapag, Northern Samar.
Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan said the president inaugurated the 11.6-kilometer first phase of the SPCR, which will now be opened to traffic and provide access connections to thousands of travelers between Simora and the towns of Laoang, Palapag, and Catubig.
Bonoan said the SPCR actually spans a total of 27 kilometers connecting the so-called Pacific towns of Samar island, including the construction of three bridges, Simora Bridge, Jangtud Bridge 1, and Jangtud Bridge 2.
President Marcos, in his speech, said: “With the opening of this road and its bridges, the development of Northern Samar’s rich agricultural land and bountiful fishing grounds will follow suit,” adding that this development will finally put an end to the economic dislocation of the people of Northern Samar.
“The completion of this key infrastructure initiative links the so-called ‘Pacific towns’ of Samar and establishes a circumferential road around the entire island connecting markets, industries, and communities,” he said.
The President said the SPCR “will expedite the delivery and movement of basic goods and services, strengthen the government’s resolve to improve the peace and order situation in the province and ensure that the economic gains and basic services are within everyone’s reach.”
The SPCR started in mid-2018 under the “Build, Build, Build” program of former PRRD, and was completed recently in June, under the Marcos’ “Build Better More” program.
During the inauguration rites, Marcos told Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Lee Sang-hwa—who attended the event with Bonoan and Special Assistant to the President Angel Lagdameo Jr.,—that he is grateful to the Korean government for supporting the project, especially its funding through the Export-Import Bank of Korea amounting to P1.17 billion.
President Marcos further said that the completion of the project showed the effective collaboration between the local and national governments.
Northern Samar Governor Edwin Ongchuan, along with Vice Governor Clarence Dato, Representative Harris Ongchuan (2nd district), and other local officials, thanked President Marcos for his support to the province.
“The SPCR will greatly impact the economic development of our province, as it will remarkably encourage increased agricultural productivity of the thousands of our farmers and fisherfolks, thereby improving our program for food self-sufficiency. It will also boost our tourism industry and help sustain our peace and resiliency efforts in Northern Samar,” said Governor Ongchuan.
The governor also acknowledged the past administration of President Rodrigo Duterte for including SPCR 1 in the priority funding of the national government, under its Build Build Build program, in tandem with the Korean government for the road. —Miriam G. Desacada