A major portion of the around 15-kilometer Gabi (Ubay) to San Miguel road will be concrete-paved within the year.

Rep. Erico Aristotle Aumentado of the 2nd District said the project will be funded by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) through its convergence with the Department of Tourism (DOT) and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

DOT funds the improvement of roads leading to tourism destinations while DTI favors roads leading to and from trade and industry sources and markets. Both aim to perk the local economy by easier access to and from such sites, and more frequent trips of passenger vehicles and even private ones.

Aumentado said good roads attract business not only for the tourism and tourism-related industries, but most importantly, to provide access, convenience and less expensive travel costs to the residents. The locals, he explained, use the road more often than the tourists.

“A good road network is critical in uplifting the economical miseries of the people,” he said. Statistics would point out that the 2nd District is “Bohol’s poorest” hence, the need for more infrastructure and other support.

Ubay and San Miguel are agricultural towns now awakening to the convenience brought on by new farm technologies and machinery. Bringing in farm inputs and transporting produce to the rice mill and on to the market will be boosted with better roads, the solon said.

Meanwhile, the solon expressed appreciation to Senators Juan Edgardo “Sonny”Angara, Cynthia Villar, Maria Lourdes Nancy Binay and Aquilino Martin “Koko” Pimentel III, and the Diwa Party List for channeling funds for infrastructure projects for his district. The most recent beneficiary, he said, is the Sports and Cultural Complex of Talibon town.  (June Blanco)