The request for extension of construction work at the Samar Pacific Coastal Road Project (SPCR) to 31 December 2021 by the DPWH is currently being evaluated by the NEDA Investment Coordination Committee-Technical Board (ICC-TB).

The NEDA VIII visited the site on 10 February 2021 as part of the Regional Development Council VIII – Regional Project Monitoring Committee (RDC VIII-RPMC) field validation and monitoring visit.

The PDPFP is a long-term development plan that identifies the province’s goals, objectives, targets, and strategies which serve as primary inputs to the province’s investment programming process. It serves as the key link between the province’s development objectives and local, regional, and national policies and priorities.

Originally slated to be finished by 12 March 2020, only 45% of the work was finished as of January this year. The project was previously extended until 31 December 2021 but the slow rate of work due to the weather meant that the 31 December deadline will not be feasible. The NEDA VIII is recommending for the extension of the project to 30 June 2022 as input to the evaluation in light of delays to the project due to adverse climactic conditions in the area which renders the site unworkable for weeks on end.

As of January 2021, project slippage was at -19.088% a downward plunge from the -14.668% in December 2020. Slippage is the difference between the actual accomplishment versus the target accomplishment in a particular period.

When completed, the 11.6-kilometer Samar Pacific Coastal Road Project will connect Taft, Eastern Samar and the coastal municipalities of Northern Samar with the provincial capital, Catarman without having to pass through the island town of Laoang, which is only accessible through small boats. The project will finally complete the Samar Island circumferential road; it is projected to bring economic growth and ease of access to these small towns in the area.

The Php 997.5 million project is a flagship infrastructure project of the Duterte Administration with the DPWH as the implementing agency. It was funded through a loan agreement with the Korean Economic Development Cooperation Fund (KEDCF).

Article and Photos by:  Knulp Aseo/PMED