Various northern Negros Occidental communities in E.B. Magalona which were ravaged and separated by typhoon Yolanda in 2013, have been reconnected with the construction of the Nanca-Cudangdang Bridge.
Undertaken by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Negros Occidental 1st District Engineering Office, the P50-million project connects the barangays of Nanca and Cudangdang and the neighboring barangays of Tanza and Tabigue.
As reported by OIC-District Engineer Dene Baldonado Jr., DPWH 6 Regional Director Nerie Bueno said the reconstruction of the bridge is vital in the transport of products from local communities to the market and providing linkage among communities.
“The reconstruction of this bridge provides direct access among sugarcane-hauling trucks from the barangays of Nanca, Cudangdang, Tanza and Tabigue to the sugar mill in the neighboring city of Victorias, hence, improving the economy and livelihood of the people in local communities,” Bueno said.
“The new bridge will likewise provide approximately 11,000 residents with a safer and quicker mode of crossing the Malogo River instead of using small barges as a means of crossing, which posed danger during typhoons and rainy days,” Director Bueno added.
Funded under the District’s FY 2020 General Appropriations Act (GAA), the project involves construction of new 75-lineal meter Pre-Stressed Concrete Girder (PSCG) bridge with an area of 572 square meters with grouted riprap as slope protection, and construction of 960-meter concrete approaches on both sides.
“Bridge is a vital transportation and economic infrastructure towards economic growth and transport linkage. With the reconstruction of Nanca-Cudangdang Bridge, the once disturbed economic activities in the local communities in E.B. Magalona will be revitalized, which would hopefully open new economic opportunities for the whole town,” Bueno stressed.
Meanwhile, a local road leading to various agricultural producing areas in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental is now improved to pave way for faster transport of products from farms to the market.
DPWH Negros Occidental 3rd District Engineering Office has recently concreted a 541-lineal meter, 6.1-meter wide 2-lane local road in Barangay Tagukon.
The P9.9-million road concreting funded under the District’s FY 2022 GAA, includes construction of slope protection, installation of reflectorized thermoplastic pavement markings, and provision of solar lights for safety especially at night.
Based on the report of District Engineer Rodney Gustilo, Regional Director Bueno said the paved road enhances mobility, eases the transport of farm products, and provides easier access to basic government services.
“This local road provides access to four communities in the uplands of Brgy. Tagukon in Kabankalan City, which are identified as vast producers of crops and other agricultural products being supplied to the city, hence, this road improvement is beneficial especially to our farmers in faster transport of their products are at lower hauling cost,” Bueno said.
Falconiere Gomez, a farmer who resides in one of the communities, said that with the concrete road, vehicles can reach their farms and their products can be easily transported to the market.
“Ginapas-an namon sang una ang amon mga produkto o ginakarga sa mga sapat kag kadugay mag abot sa tienda. Subong, may mga salakyan na nga makaderetso sa amon mga uma kag mahapos na magdala sang amon produkto sa syudad (We used to carry our products by ourselves or carried by animals and it took as long time traveling to reach the market. Now, vehicles can reach our farms and it is now easy to deliver our products to the city),” he said.
In most areas of Brgy. Tagukon, people mainly depend in the cultivation of farm products such as palay, banana, sugarcane and vegetables as their primary source of living. The improvement of this access road enhances their socio-economic condition.
“This road concreting project is one of the eminent contributions of DPWH to identified agricultural and potential agricultural areas in local communities for sustainable supply of products to the markets. This will likewise provide our people in remote areas an easier access to health, education and other public services offered by our government,” Bueno also said.*
