By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ
COMMUTERS would have to stretch their dwindling patience some more
as the expected arrival in May of the concrete road in Larap will not happen -
yet.
The concrete segment of the road stopped in Sparline in November
and has never moved an inch forward since.
A native of Larap, who travels the road everyday in the course of
doing her business in Mambulao town seven kilometers away, told MWBuzz:
“Hindi pa po … ganun pa rin po ang itsura ng kalsada sa Sparline
(not yet … it’s still the same road that we see in Sparline.)
The source said she travels in her motorbike everyday and that 2km
portion of the road has been giving her a rough ride.
The same complaints are being aired by commuters and jeepney
operators, who wish that the local government finds money to complete it soon.
The Parang-Larap road cementing program ground to a halt in
Sparline after the Mambulao local government ran out of funds, leaving about 2km
of bad road that ends at the center of Larap.
The fully-concreted road reached its Sparline segment sometime
last November, earning praises from the community.
Mambulao Mayor Ricarte “Dong” Padilla had earlier told the people
that the unfinished section of the road would be funded by the Department of
Tourism under its tourism program.
Padilla said sometime late last year the resumption of the project
was to begin last January and would be completed after five months, which was
May.
He appealed to Mambulao people to be patient for another five
months, after which they would have fully-concreted road from Mambulao to Larap,
a 7km of smooth stretch.
But this was not to happen,
The fund of about Php20 million was to come from the development
fund known as pork barrel, which outlawed by the government recently after it
has been tainted with massive graft.
Although the funding has already been approved by the Tourism
Department, it has never been released to the Mambulao LGU.
Padilla has remained silent about the delay of the project, which
is supposed to be the crowning glory of his administration’s second term.
Although Larap became the wealthiest community in the province of
CamNorte from the 50s to early 70s because of the booming iron mine the village
hosted those days, the concreting of the seven kilometer road linking the
poblacion to Lara was never given importance by miner Philippine Iron Mines
(PIM) and the local government.
At present, the natives of Larap, who are based overseas, are
again trying to start another fund raising campaign for money to buy cement for
the project.
This is one way to help the Mambulao government complete the
remaining 2k stretch of rough road, according to an officer of the LaPima
(Laking PIM ako), an association of the sons and daughters of former Larap
workers.
For comment, email: ahernandez@thenational.com.pg
and alfredophernandez@y7mail.com
The Larap-Mambulao road was never intended to be concreted during the entire operation of PIM. It was well maintained though using the mines trucks, graders, compactors and water sprays to control dust that it was a smooth ride going to Larap from Mambulao.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it will be Padilla's crowning glory if he finishes it during his term
true larap was a mining community and doesn,t need a cement road.. first of all naglipana ang mga tornapol equiptmnt all over the place and they were more than 50 tons each... wch kud have easily pulverized a concrete road in just a few passings.. not to mention hundreds of other hevi equiptmnt rolling in nd out of larap via the larap-mambulao road
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