ILOILO — A once-risky crossing linking four barangays in the northern Iloilo town of San Dionisio has been transformed into a safer and more reliable route following the completion of a P2.479-million box culvert improvement project in Barangay Mandu-awak.
The project, formally turned over on August 20, is expected to improve the daily movement of residents and support livelihoods not only in Mandu-awak but also in the neighboring barangays of Talo-ato, Batuan and Amayong.
The San Dionisio local government received the facility under the LGU-Led Community-Driven Development (CDD) program with support from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
The project forms part of Phase 3, Cycle 2 of the CDD modality, which gives communities a direct role in identifying and addressing their development needs.
The improved box culvert replaces what had been considered a risky crossing, providing residents with a more dependable passage between the four communities.
“Ang ini nga proyekto isa ka dako nga tikang para sa pagpaayo sang aton mga imprastraktura kag seguridad sang komunidad. Daku gid ini nga bulig indi lamang sa mga pumuluyo sang Barangay Mandu-awak, kundi pati sa mga residente sang Barangays Batuan, Barangay Amayong, kag Barangay Talo-ato nga nagasalig sa sini nga dalan sa ila adlaw-adlaw nga pagbiyahe kag pangabuhian,” Vice Mayor Cash Jacomina said.
Local officials marked the project’s completion through a ribbon-cutting ceremony and the unveiling of its project marker.
To protect the government’s P2.479-million investment, the Barangay Council of Mandu-awak, with support from the Mandu-awak Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative (MARBC), will oversee the operation and maintenance of the facility.
Barangay captains from Mandu-awak, Talo-ato, Batuan and Amayong also attended the turnover, underscoring the cooperation among communities benefiting from the improved crossing./PN
