TACLOBAN CITY — Residents of remote Barangay Cagdarao in Laoang, Northern Samar, previously had to cross a river or take a longer route through a neighboring village to bring farm products or transport patients to the main highway leading to the town center.

Barangay chair Rustico Poso said the situation has improved with the completion of the second phase of the Simora-Palapag Road to Barangay Cagdarao Farm-to-Market Road.

He said patients can now be transported directly to hospitals, reducing the risks posed by difficult travel conditions.

The project, undertaken by the Northern Samar provincial government, aims to improve access to remote communities and make the transport of agricultural products easier.

Phase II covers 543.18 meters and is 6.10 meters wide and 230 millimeters thick. It also includes a 10-meter reinforced concrete pipe culvert and slope protection works.

Phase I, which spans 737 meters, was completed on 12 March 2026 and served as the initial section connecting the barangay to the national highway.

The road features Portland cement concrete pavement designed to accommodate heavy vehicles, along with reinforced concrete pipe culverts, wing walls, an apron and slope protection to improve drainage and reduce erosion.

“Through this project, the Provincial Government aims to provide residents with a safer, easier, and more convenient transportation route while improving the accessibility of farm products from the community to the market,” the provincial government said.