Tacloban: The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) field office here has partnered with local government units to protect and conserve forest resources along the new Basey-Maydolong Road.
According to Philippines News Agency, the DENR regional office announced that it has formally signed commitments with the provincial governments of Samar and Eastern Samar, as well as the municipal governments of Basey in Samar and Maydolong in Eastern Samar, along with other key stakeholders. The agreement, signed on July 8, establishes a collaborative framework to ensure that the road, which traverses the protected landscape of the Samar Island Natural Park (SINP), is managed and maintained in a manner that balances infrastructure development with biodiversity conservation and environmental protection.
DENR Eastern Visayas Regional Executive Director Arturo Salazar emphasized that the Memorandum of Agreement represents more than a formal commitment; it is a shared pledge to protect the Samar Island Natural Park while ensuring that development is pursued responsibly. He stated that the agreement demonstrates that infrastructure development and environmental conservation can coexist through responsible governance and strong collaboration among stakeholders.
"The Basey-Maydolong Road serves as a vital link for our communities, but it also passes through one of our most ecologically significant protected areas. It is our shared responsibility to ensure that infrastructure development proceeds without compromising the integrity of the Samar Island Natural Park," Salazar stated. "Through this partnership, we reaffirm our commitment to achieving sustainable development-where progress goes hand in hand with the protection of our natural heritage for present and future generations," he added.
Recognizing the ecological importance of the Samar Island Natural Park, the signatories committed to strengthening inter-agency coordination, promoting sustainable road management practices, and implementing measures to minimize environmental impacts while ensuring safe and responsible public access.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has released PHP1.73 billion for the opening and concreting of 57 kilometers (km) of the 70-km Basey-Maydolong Road, which significantly reduces travel time between the cities of Tacloban and Borongan. The amount represents the funding released by the infrastructure agency from mid-2016 to May this year out of the PHP3.16 billion requirement, according to the DPWH. This allocation has enabled substantial progress on what is considered one of Eastern Visayas' high-impact infrastructure projects, allowing the agency to open and pave 30.2 km of road on the Eastern Samar side and 26.8 km on the Samar side over the past decade.
