DPWH completes over P509-M infra projects for communities in Caraga
By Renelle L. Escuadro
BUTUAN CITY (PIA) — Cementing the peace and development agenda of the government, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Caraga completed P509,390,000 worth of 37 infrastructure projects across Caraga in 2025, paving the way for inclusive services and accessible facilities to former insurgent communities in the region.
In the annual accomplishment report presented to the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) on January 22, the DPWH shared that the infrastructure projects in the region include seven roads, one bridge, two flood control systems, and 27 multipurpose buildings.
The DPWH is the lead agency of the Infrastructure and Resource Management (IRM) Cluster of the Caraga RTF-ELCAC.
According to DPWH Caraga Director Alex B. Ramos, “The DPWH implemented seven projects covering roads, bridges, flood control systems, and other infrastructure interventions. These projects delivered 8.364 km of roads, 1 bridge, 546.45 linear meters of flood control systems, and 27 other infrastructure facilities, benefiting 37 barangays in the region. With a total investment of over P509 million, the program significantly improved accessibility, safety, and community resilience, contributing to local development and sustained peace in Caraga.”
The director cited the completion of the Regional Evacuation Center in Carmen, Surigao del Sur, on April 10, 2025, benefiting eight barangays. “More than 2,693 families from eight barangays in Carmen town are happy with the evacuation center that will serve as their refuge and temporary shelter during calamities and emergencies.”
With the task force’s assertion on ‘Building Peace Better,’ the department, also showcased the Cabadbaran-Putting Bato –Lanuza Road and the Surigao- Agusan West Coastal Road as tangible proof on how the government has transformed the lives of the ‘peace advocates’ who were former rebels, including their families and communities and sustained their reintegration to mainstream society through convenient and safe roads.
Meanwhile, under the administration’s National Action Plan for Unity, Peace and Development (NAP-UPD) 2025-2028, the IRM Cluster is mandated to strengthen socio-economic development where the root causes of local armed conflicts are addressed, where people are experiencing improved quality of life, enjoying and exercising their rights to development and economic opportunities through access to land, basic infrastructures and services, livelihood and employment opportunities, environmental protection, and disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) services, while priority barangays are governed by well-functioning local government units, having their equitable share of national public resources and the support of the national government and higher-level LGUs.
Also, the IRM Cluster has the following member-agencies: Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Agriculture, Department of Agrarian Reform, National Electrification Administration, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, and the Office for Transportation Security. (RLE, PIA Dinagat Islands)
