Marawi City (6 July) -- Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr has called on all the people of Lanao del Sur to work together to achieve peace and prosperity.
The Secretary sounded the call at the end of the two-day Moral Revival Workshop-Summit held recently at the Provincial Capitol Gym, this city.
Jointly spearheaded by the Ulama League of the Philippines (ULP), Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) and the Provincial Government of Lanao del Sur, the workshop-summit was aimed at reviving morals in governance, education and economics.
Ebdane said the summit which focused on moral renewal was timely because it anchored the need to get back to basics in order to pave way for peace and development.
"It is indeed timely that you have chosen this special occasion to come together in search for answers to key questions about vision, principles and action because I believe that action is the best manifestation of one's conviction and moral stand," he said.
He pointed out that what the people need to push forward their march were unity of vision and action as well as a solid commitment to pursue their vision together.
Community action, he said, is the key element. A community that is aware of threats and opportunities and is committed to working together for prosperity, development, and better life will be in the best position to win and will win.
"If the community is one in vision and action there is nothing that cannot be solved and there is little that cannot be achieved because a community united in vision will be able to achieve whatever they set their minds to," Ebdane further said.
The Public Works Secretary, meanwhile, cited how the DPWH is helping in the progress and development of communities emphasizing the crucial role of roads and bridges in the communities.
"The road is the bridge to the future, it is hope, it is opportunity, it is a better life and this hope, this opportunity, this better life is what the DPWH has worked on for the last 111 years," he stressed.
"I have seen how dreams of progress and prosperity for communities and families have been made more real through the bridges and roads that open up possibilities for trade, education, health services and great technology and rest assured that the men and women of DPWH will continue to fulfill our pledge of service to build our country through public work facilities," he added.
Ebdane also revealed that under the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Mindanao has been given a big chunk of public works investments. Under the SONA projects, Mindanao has 9 major infra projects supervised by the DPWH worth Php19.9-Billion to address the lack of roads and road networks that hinder development activities.
He further disclosed that in this year's pump priming program alone, about Php15-Billion has been allocated for maintenance and constructions of roads, bridges, flood control and other public works in Mindanao.
The DPWH Secretary also announced that the implementation of the improvement and rehabilitation of the Lake Lanao Circumferential road will soon start. (Apipa P Bagumbaran /PIA)
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