Access roads concreted to boost local economy and tourism industry in Aklan

The Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) Aklan District Engineering Office (DEO) completed the concreting of access roads in various local communities.

The concrete roads provide easier and faster delivery of local products from farms to the market, boosting local economy in the province.

These projects also aim to enhance farm to market connectivity with quality roads, making the delivery of native products to neighboring towns and provinces much easier and faster; and promotes tourism industry of Aklan.

Citing the report of OIC-District Engineer Gener J. Abergas, DPWH-6 Regional Director Tiburcio DL Canlas said the concreting of access roads in the towns of Altavas, Banga, Libacao and Nabas are now completed.

“In convergence with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) thru the Roads Leveraging Linkages of Industry and Trade (ROLL-IT) program, we have completed the concreting of 4.5-lineal kilometer, 6.7-meter wide access road in Brgy. Catmon in Altavas, which connects to Capiz province thru the Mambusao boundary access road. This ₱53-million road concreting project, which includes construction of line ditch and slope protection, supports the coconut processing and banig (local mattress) making industry in the town,” Canlas said.

The ₱79-million concrete road in Barangay Manika in Libacao, also a DPWH-DTI convergence project, involved the construction of a 3.4 kilometer, 6.1-meter wide Portland Concrete Cement Pavement (PCCP) road with slope protection and line ditch.

With this project, local producers will no longer need to spend almost 7 hours walking from their places to the neighboring towns to deliver their native products such as tayok-tayok, nito and abaca.

This road also leads to Manila Viewpoint, a new local tourist attraction in Libacao, wherein the tourists get to see a breath-taking view of the province.

“Makaron nga may karsada, uwa eon kami nalisdi magkraga sa among produkto (Now that there is already a road, it is not difficult anymore to carry our products),” said Mr. Lomer Asiong, an abaca seller in Brgy. Manika.

The ₱23.4-million road concreting project in Brgy. Guadalupe in Libacao, is also completed. The project implemented in convergence with the Department of Tourism (DOT) involves the concreting of 1-ilometer, 6.1-meter wide PCCP with slope protection and line ditch.

This road leads to Mangayaw Falls, a tourist destination in the town, which is a valuable factor in enhancing the local tourism. It also provides a convenient transportation access among the the people in far flung areas.

Meantime, Director Canlas said that DPWH, Aklan DEO has also completed the concreting of 224-lineal meter access road in Brgy. Buenavista in Nabas town in the amount of ₱1.5 million; and 220-meter road in Brgy. Poblacion in Banga, in the amount of ₱1.3 million. (DPWH-6)