Samar: The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) regional office here announced that the damaged Samar section of the Maharlika Highway is now free from obstructions for the Holy Week, complying with the directive of Secretary Vince Dizon.

According to Philippines News Agency, DPWH Eastern Visayas Regional Director Edgar Tabacon reported that they have been in constant communication with contractors to ensure there is no one-way traffic within the Maharlika Highway in Samar province. "The instruction is that sections which will not be completed before Holy Week will be temporarily restored, mitigated, and opened to traffic," Tabacon stated during a press briefing late Tuesday after the Regional Development Council (RDC) meeting.

During his visit to Samar on March 9, Dizon instructed the agency's field personnel to finish the ongoing road reblocking works along the Maharlika Highway before the Holy Week. He emphasized that DPWH engineers need to make sure both lanes of the main highway are open in all affected areas and that road obstructions are removed in preparation for the annual increase in motorist traffic.

"All road sections are passable in both lanes as contractors were instructed to temporarily cover all potholes. All road reblocking activities will resume after the Holy Week," Tabacon added. He also mentioned that the rehabilitation of the Maharlika Highway is still underway, especially in Samar, where some of the most damaged areas require extensive work.

The DPWH has plans for a full rehabilitation of the major highway this year, following President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s directive to expedite improvements along the country's main highway network. The rehabilitation of the Maharlika Highway in Eastern Visayas is a national government priority project, as the road is a crucial part of the transport corridor connecting Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao.