KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato — The Office of the Provincial Engineer (OPE) is ramping up its infrastructure initiatives with the target of significantly increasing its overall accomplishment rate in repairing and paving provincial roads before the end of the year.
Provincial Engineer Lloyd Esparagosa highlighted that the PEO is redoubling its efforts to accelerate ongoing road rehabilitation and concreting projects across South Cotabato.
According to Esparagosa, ensuring functional and fully paved roads is essential so that residents directly feel the impact of provincial government projects. Well-maintained infrastructure plays a critical role in streamlining the transportation of agricultural goods and boosting commerce across various municipalities.
“We are redoubling our efforts because paved roads are more than just concrete—they are lifelines for our local economy. When our road networks are reliable, transporting agricultural products becomes faster and safer, directly benefiting our farmers, local businesses, and commuters across South Cotabato,” Esparagosa emphasized.
The province’s road development program has seen substantial advancement over recent years. In 2019, only 40 percent of the total provincial road network was concreted. Today, that figure has reached 72 percent, demonstrating consistent progress in local infrastructure delivery.
“From 40% in 2019 to 72% today, our progress reflects the provincial government’s unwavering commitment to infrastructure development. But we are not stopping there. Before this year ends, our goal is to push these numbers even higher and deliver quality roads that our constituents truly deserve,” Esparagosa stated.
The PEO aims to push this accomplishment rate even higher before 2026 closes, aligning with the directive of Governor Reynaldo S. Tamayo Jr. to continuously expand infrastructure development to drive economic growth and enhance public service delivery.
Through the sustained improvement of the provincial road network, travel is expected to become faster, safer, and more efficient for commuters, while local farmers benefit from seamless access to broader markets, unlocking further economic opportunities for South Cotabato.
“In line with the directive of Governor Tamayo, our priority is to ensure that the people directly feel the impact of our governance. Accelerating these road concreting and rehabilitation projects is key to enhancing public service and unlocking more opportunities for our home province,” Esparagosa shared.
