MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte — The Department of Public Works and Highways will convert a major thoroughfare in Southern Leyte to comply with standards for national roads to bring more economic opportunities to rural communities.

The 35-kilometer Buenavista-Asuncion, Maasin City road, which traverses 13 barangays of Maasin and three barangays of Bontoc town, was formally turned over by the Southern Leyte provincial government to the DPWH in a ceremony last 12 October.

District Engineer Manolo Rojas said the conversion of the road will significantly stimulate and promote economic development of farming areas traversed by the road network.

It will also directly link rural villages to the provincial capital, commercial centers, and major seaports, as well as enhance access to essential government services.

"By converting this into a national road, the responsibility for the maintenance thereof is transferred to the DPWH. With paved and duly maintained road network, commerce and trade in the province would be enhanced," Rojas said.

Rojas added that the road in its present condition is poor with numerous cracks and shattered slabs. He said the design does not comply with national road standards as its width and thickness fall below the required specifications.

"The initial plan is to reconstruct the entire road section to meet the current national road standards," he said. "DPWH also plans to widen the road segments with no road right of way issues."

Rojas disclosed that projects for the road section are not included in the National Expenditure Program for 2024, but the district engineering office has submitted a request for maintenance funds to the DPWH central office to enable vital maintenance operations for the newly-converted national road.

The declaration of the Buenavista-Asuncion, Maasin City road (Maasin City-Bontoc) as a national road is pursuant to DPWH Department Order No. 109, s. 2021 signed on 25 November 2021 by former DPWH Secretary Roger Mercado.

"Our mission at DPWH has always been to build and maintain infrastructure that serves as the backbone of our nation's progress. Today, with the official recognition of this road as a national road network, we have achieved yet another milestone in our journey towards a better, more connected Southern Leyte," Rojas said.