LAKE SEBU, South Cotabato, December 1, 2025 — Sitio Lambukon in Barangay Upper Maculan took a major step forward as the Provincial Government of South Cotabato, through its CATCH UP program and in coordination with the Office of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (OPDRRMO), launched the sitio’s second concrete-block tire path project to improve access in the upland community.
The project is designed to address long standing mobility challenges in remote areas, particularly during the rainy season when roads become muddy, and often unsafe. With the new tire path, residents are expected to experience safer daily travel, more reliable transport routes, and easier movement of goods and services between the sitio and the town center.
The improved pathway will directly support farmers and families by reducing travel time and transport costs, helping ensure that agricultural products reach markets faster and with fewer losses. Parents and students are also expected to benefit from more dependable routes to schools, while households gain improved access to health services and other government programs.
Beyond day to day convenience, the tire path strengthens local disaster readiness. Reliable access routes allow quicker response during medical emergencies, faster delivery of relief assistance during severe weather, and improved reach for responders conducting assessments in hard to access areas.
“This tire path may look simple, but for Sitio Lambukon it changes everything. It makes travel safer, makes it easier to bring products out, and makes response faster when emergencies happen,” said Cris Pingkunn Fuentes, Project Development Officer II and focal person of South Cotabato CATCH UP. “Most importantly, it brings government services closer to families in far flung communities, so no one is left behind in our development efforts.”
Community members welcomed the project as a concrete sign of progress that speaks to both livelihood and resilience. With improved connectivity, Sitio Lambukon is expected to be better linked to essential services, opportunities, and support systems, helping reduce isolation and strengthen the community’s capacity to withstand disruptions.
The second tire path reflects the continuing commitment of the Provincial Government to people centered infrastructure that delivers immediate impact while building safer, more connected, and more resilient communities across South Cotabato.
