Larap road: On the homestretch

Road taking shape

Pile of rocks to build rip-raps along the roadside facing the bay. -- Photo courtesy of ELSIE DIMAUNAHAN/Facebook
 

A fisherman-resident  at Sparline points to the spot where the LGU-built road ended. His house sits just right in front of the road's tip. "Salamat po at mawawala na ang problema namin sa alikabok," he told MWBuzz last April, as he reacted to the news that the cementing of the road would resume very soon. - MWBuzzpic by AP HERNANDEZ


By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ

THE rehab of the remaining 2km of rough road to Larap has resumed.

The pouring of concrete began recently from where the road segment concreted by the municipal government stopped at Sparline.

The concreting job, which costs about Php20 million, is being handled by the provincial government.

Although Mambulao Mayor Ricarte “Dong” Padilla secured the funding from the Department of Tourism (DOT) last year under its municipal tourism development program, his administration is not allowed under the law to do public works worth more than Php5 million.

In this case, the funding goes to the coffers of the provincial government, which will disburse the money for the Larap road rehab.

Alongside the road concreting is the putting up of stonewalls on the side of the road facing Mambulao Bay.

The stonewalls or known locally as “rip-raps” would protect the road from erosion when waves slammed onto the roadside during stormy days.

The concrete segment of the 7km road between Parang and Larap is expected to reach the heart of the baranggay in three to four months.

Meanwhile, Larap residents hailed the resumption of the road concreting project as it would speed up travel between Parang and Larap.

Road work was stalled sometime last year due to delays in the fund release.

Once completed, travel between Parang and Larap would only be 15 minutes.

Until two years ago when the road was not yet concreted, travel lasted 30 minutes or so.

This road is used mostly by tricycles, the most common means of transport in Mambulao.

The Larap road is part of the 88km of road network across the municipality.

Padilla began concreting most of the roads when became mayor in 2010, getting funding from the pork barrel and donations from Mambulaoans.

Padilla said the concreting of the Larap road has been the most challenging public works his administration ever handled.

Email: alfredophernandez@thenational.com.pg