CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro – Mayor Robinhood D. Ylagan of Puerto Galera, this province, has appealed to Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon to immediately resume road rehabilitation activities in four barangays in his town to ensure the safety of the public and the continuous movement of tourists, goods, and services.

In a one-page letter, Ylagan said several road sections that are being rehabilitated in Barangays Balatero, Palangan, Sabang and Sinandigan were left unfinished, posing safety hazards and impeding daily transportation in these areas.

Ylagan said roads are now muddy, uneven, and narrowed to a single lane, directly affecting the livelihood, access to health and education, and the overall image of Puerto Galera as a prime tourist destination.

“With full trust in your leadership, we respectfully appeal to your office for immediate assistance in facilitating the resumption of these projects,” Ylagan told Dizon in his letter dated Oct. 20.

Four road rehabilitation projects were implemented by the DPWH Regional Office 4-B under the Sustainable Infrastructure Projects Alleviating Gaps (SIPAG) program of the department with a total contract cost of P400 million in the four barangays.

These temporarily stopped on Oct. 7 when Dizon issued a memorandum suspending all re-blocking work throughout the country due to ongoing audit and investigation of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI).

“We are ready to coordinate closely with your team to ensure smooth project implementation and transparency at all levels,” the mayor said.

In a separate letter, Engr. Gerladin C. Bacay, town chief engineer, urged Engr. Editha R. Babaran, OIC regional director of DPWH 4-B, to intervene and support the timely completion of what she considered as “vital infrastructure projects that benefit Puerto Galerans and the broader community.”