ILOILO CITY (PNA) — Some P540 million worth of high impact projects will be completed under the supervision of Engr. Evelyn Barroso, the first lady regional director of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Western Visayas.

Outgoing regional director Rolando Asis said he will soon be transferring within the month to Leyte after serving the region for over four years as regional director and one year as officer-in-charge.

Asis said the high impact projects composed of five big projects were kicked off this June and are due for completion in a year.

These are the P180-million Amerang Bridge connecting Cabatuan and Maasin towns; P100 million Baltazar Aquino Bridge in Leon and the P105 million Camanggahan Bridge connecting the towns of Guimbal and Tubungan.

Other projects include the repair and rehabilitation of the Libacao Aklan River Flood Control amounting to P50 million; P55 million Leganes-Dumangas Coastal Road; and the P50 million Balabag-Sulangan Road in Dumangas.

DAR Completes Capiz Roads

Roxas City (PIA) — The improvement of farm-to-market roads in far-flung areas of Capiz has made it easier for local farmers to transport their products to trade centers in the province. Information Officer Carlette Pretta of the Department of Agrarian Reform in Capiz disclosed that more farmers are happy after the rehabilitation of their farm to market road.

Specificially, she said that a total of 24.527-kilometer farm-to-market roads, costing P36 million were constructed under the Department of Agrarian Reform’s infrastructure program courtesy of the agency’s Agrarian Reform Fund.

The road-widening and rehabilitation projects were implemented in Cuartero and Mambusao towns, Pretta revealed.

Armed Raid VMC Pumphouse

Bacolod City — A group of 50 armed men believed to be members of the Communist Party of the Philippines/New People’s Army group reportedly burned the electric transformer of Malogo Pumphouse owned by the Victorias Milling Company (VMC) in Hda. Cruz, Brgy. 13, Victorias City, north of Negros Occidental, late last week.

A probe by the police reveals that after burning said pumphouse, the armed men disarmed the security guards in the area, confiscating a handheld transceiver radio, and then destroyed the electric transformer. Total damage was estimated at some P600,000.

Police investigators recovered from the incident scene 11 empty shells of caliber 5.56 mm and three gasoline container cups. In an interview, VMC Chief Security Officer, retired Philippine Army Col. Efren Lagdamen said the security guards on duty thought the men were members of combat units belonging to the Regional Mobile Group (RMG) since they were sporting military uniforms.

First, only three men were allowed to enter the outpost because they said they wanted to take shelter. But they were followed by seven additional men who were also armed, and who then proceeded to raze the pumping station and electric transformer. Lagdamen said most likely, the group wanted to collect revolutionary taxes from the VMC. (Edith B. Colmo)