Four (4) slope protection structures built by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) now ensure a safer and more convenient travel to upland barangays in Leon, Iloilo.
According to DPWH Region 6 OIC-Director Sanny Boy O. Oropel, the structures built along Junction Bancal-Leon-Antique Boundary Road in various barangays of Leon will prevent deterioration, spalling, and collapse of the slope due to rain scouring or weathering.
Undertaken by DPWH Iloilo 4th District Engineering Office, the project is composed of four (4) sections, namely: 80 lineal meters in Sitio Tabionan in Barangay Bucari, 100 lineal meters in Barangay Tagsing, and two (2) other sections measuring 100 lineal meters in Barangay Maliao.
These road improvements now facilitate the swift provision of essential services to remote communities as well as the unhindered transportation of agricultural goods from highland villages in Leon and Alimodian to the market.
Besides ensuring the safety of local communities against rockfall, landslide, and soil erosion, the structure will also guarantee safety of tourists going to Bucari Pine Forest and other attractions in the neighboring town of Alimodian such as Imoy Falls and Seven Cities.
Scope of works on the projects involve the installation of high tensile wire mesh and construction of concrete slope protection structures with stone masonry, concrete shoulders, lined canal, and metal guard rails as safety features, implemented in the total amount of P319.1 million under the 2022 General Appropriations Act.