United States Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney has inaugurated the newly-completed Campo Uno-Tuburan upgrading road project in Basilan, funded by the United States Agency for International Development-Growth With Equity in Mindanao (USAID-GEM). The new 13.4 km. road provides a primary connecting route for local residents from their municipalities to the Basilan Circumferential road that reaches the rest of the province.
Its first 1.3 section starting from Campo Uno (Lamitan) up to Mamboring (Tuburan) has been upgraded by the DPWH-ARMM Basilan District to a concrete-paved road. The next 1.2 section has been prioritized for improvement (concrete-paving) and is presently maintained by DPWH-ARMM. The GEM-funded part of the road improvements begins in Barangay Mamboring in Tuburan and ends in Languyan, Mohammad Ajul.
The GEM-improved" section of 10.88 km is composed of a few short sections concrete pavement and the rest are gravel or earth roadway. The US government alloted at least P46 million for the road project. The old road was severely damaged in many sections, which made it difficult foa passenger jeepneys and other vehicles to pass, especially during the rainy season.
Poor road conditions increased the cost of transporting goods to market and inhibited passenger travel. "I see things improving here...this is a good sign...the people are increasingly interested in development," Kenney told reporters in an interview at the project site after the inaugural ceremony.
Prior to USAID's involvement, Tuburan and Akbar Municipalities were quite isolated. The new road will bring about easier access to local markets as well as contribute to the overall peace and security of the area.
To help spur and augment regional economic growth, USAID financed the construction of 40 regional infrastructure projects and 830 smaller barangay infrastructure projects in the ARMM and neighboring conflict-affected areas of Mindanao. Next >>