Lanao road project 50% complete

LANAO DEL SUR, Philippines - Residents in Lanao del Sur’s Ganassi and Madamba towns and in Tubod, Lanao del Norte are actively helping monitor the construction of a 57-kilometer road meant to interconnect their villages, officials said Wednesday.

Gov. Mamintal Adiong Jr., now in his last term as governor of Lanao del Sur, said he is grateful to local officials and community elders, in the towns the thoroughfare will traverse, for helping secure workers involved in the project.

Workers have accomplished about half of the 57-kilometer artery.

“Inclement weather, recurring rains slowed down the construction works,” Adiong said.

The road project, launched early this year, is a joint initiative of the Lanao del Sur provincial government and Malacañang, through the office of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Region 10.

Engineer Mikunug Macabantog, a senior official of DPWH-10, said once the 57-kilometer road is complete, travel time will be shortened to only two hours from Marawi City, the capital of Lanao del Sur, to Tubod town, a key trading hub in Lanao del Norte.

Lanao del Sur is a component province of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) while Lanao del Norte is under Administrative Region 10.

Macabantog and Adiong both said they are thankful to local officials, religious leaders and barangay officials for supporting the implementation of the project.

“This road project will usher in improvements in the economy of the towns it will traverse,” Macabantog said.