Caraga IPs benefit from government’s road construction

Since the start of construction of the Cabadbaran-Puting Bato-Lanuza road in year 2015, the Mamanwa tribe has also vacated their former places and started living on a nipa hut along the highways. These are the Indigenous Peoples (IPs)

By Jennifer P. Gaitano from the mountainous areas in the provinces of Agusan del Norte and Surigao del Sur, wherein insurgency was the main problem. With this project, the ancestral domains of the IPs are now accessible, and it gives hope to the IP communities, as well as to the next generations that their culture and tradition be known to other people. According to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), many of the IP communities have already benefited from the government’s road

construction effort. “I’m happy that our government was able to provide our IPs the much-needed road construction from the metropolis connecting different places going to the mountainous areas. They felt that the government has never forgotten them,” said Engr. Pol Delos Santos, regional director of DPWH-Caraga. The IPs, he added, were thankful as they could now bring and

deliver their products to the market conveniently. “They are happy because they are now able to sell their products on a higher price and transportation is no longer a difficulty for them,” he bared. The construction of the flood control projects is also underway. The construction of the river bank protection in Agusan River, Maningalao section in the municipality of Las Nieves is also expected to be completed by next month. Meanwhile, the dike in Bangonay River in the municipality of Jabonga with 962 meters is now at 77.23 percent complete and full completion is expected by February of next year. This particular project will protect the residents and their farm against possible floodings. Along with this is the construction of the seven isolation facilities in various LGUs of the region. (JPG/ PIA-Caraga)