PAMANA AREAS

PIA | CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar, May 20 - Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA) bared its proposed interventions in Samar to push for peace and development.

In the Provincial peace and Order Council (PPOC) meeting Friday in Catbalogan City, members of the PAMANA management team facilitated the appraisal for two priority projects in Samar province.

Ranking number one is the initial concreting of Barangay Lokilokon (Paranas) to San Jose de Buan. Some 34.8 kilometers (km) of critical road stretch needs immediate attention.

San Jose de Buan is a hinterland municipality, where according to the 2003 census, 82 percent of the population belong to the poorest of the poor.

Their remote location is aggravated by the presence of insurgents who intimidate deliverers of social services.

Following closely is the Gandara-Matuginao road leading to the second poorest municipality, Matuginao.

At present, the provincial government and the army have pooled resources to construct roads that will connect Matuginao to Gandara, but this seemed inadequate and the advent of PAMANA may be well a manna for the locals.

PAMANA, according to the team presentation, shall focus on making government felt through delivery of social services and creation of economic opportunities.

“The big ticket infrastructure projects that could serve as catalysts for economic activities in the area include the road network that will connect the three Samar provinces, farm-to-market roads, and postharvest facilities,” the presentation said.

“These are envisioned to increase agricultural productivity which is the primary resource base of Samar, at the same time create more economic/livelihood opportunities and stable jobs for its people," it added.

PAMANA Program is embodied in the Philippine Development Plan for 2011-2016, which provides the framework for interventions in conflict-affected and vulnerable area to compliment the government’s peace negotiation efforts in line with its commitment to address the cause of conflict and causes affecting the peace process. (NBQ-PIA 8, Samar)