The local government of Calinog in Iloilo province is looking forward to bring more development to its remotest barangay with the opening of a five-kilometer access road that will soon be extended for another five kilometers passing through various sitios of Barangay Aglonok.

Calinog Mayor Francisco Calvo said Aglonok is about 40 kilometers away from the town proper, or around 10 kilometers from the last paved road in Barangay Caratagan, whose road was only opened last year.

The project was funded by a PHP4-million grant under the Support to Barangay Development Program (BDSP) of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC) but the local government looked for more funds from its local budget since the national allocation is not enough to defray the cost of opening a five-kilometer road in mountainous areas.

“Gradually we are doing road graveling and after that, the plan is to have them concreted,” he said in the dialect.

The road opening on April 23, took two days and two nights, and came after the opening of an access road in the adjacent mountainous village of Hilwan in March, also with fund support from the BDSP.

The two villages converged in Barangay Caratagan, some 35 kilometers away from the town proper and host a hospital currently being built by the local government unit.

The two access roads benefit over a thousand population of the two barangays.

The launching of the road projects was also the first time that a four-wheeled vehicle was able to enter the barangays.

The people of Aglonok are dependent on agriculture for their livelihood with palay, coffee, banana and abaca fiber for their produce.

The most sustainable, according to the mayor, is the abaca fiber but residents have to shell out over a thousand each time they bring their product to the market.

Going to the area takes about one day by foot passing through a trail.

With the access road, the mayor suggested they buy a motorcycle where they will just spend not over P300 for gasoline to bring their product down to the town proper.

“With the road, people will gradually go back to their barangay because most of them have stayed in the poblacion. Probably they will gradually go back to the mountains because of the prospect of livelihood and they will no longer incur losses from their products,” the mayor said in their dialect.

Apart from access to the market, it would already be easier for them to avail of health services, especially during emergencies.

Aglonok Barangay Captain Rex Dalumpines, in a separate interview, said that before they would use a hammock to carry their patients, had to cross two rivers for them to reach the hospital in the nearby town of Lambunao.

When it is an emergency case, their patient will just die before reaching a health facility.

Currently, the municipality has a 4×4 vehicle that can easily pick up their patient.

Communication is not difficult too amid the lack of internet signal because the LGU has provided them with handheld radio connected to their municipal hall on standby 24/7.

It would also be easier for children to travel to school unlike before when their students have to stay in the town proper and go home after several years while others opted not to return to their barangay.

Calvo said their next plan is to energize the barangays.

He said that third district Representative Lorenz Defensor has already allotted a budget for that and they have already talked with the Iloilo II Electric Cooperative (ILECO II) about the plan.

The two barangays will also have their barangay hall funded by the congressman.

In an interview with Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor on Thursday, he said the provincial government will also assist in the construction of the hospital in Caratagan.

Once completed, the health facility will also benefit residents of Aglonok and Hilwan.Perla Lena/PNA