MISAMIS Oriental — Residents of Sitio Lantad in Barangay Kibanban, Balingasag may soon have safer and easier access to their community as the provincial government moves to rehabilitate the 25-kilometer road connecting the remote sitio to the national highway.
Misamis Oriental Gov. Juliette Uy ordered the immediate leveling and rehabilitation of portions of the road after personally inspecting its condition during her visit to Lantad on Sept. 21.
Uy was in the community to distribute assistance and provide initial medical services to residents when she saw the deteriorated portions of the road, according to Provincial Information Officer Joane Tabique.
She then directed the Provincial Engineering Office to deploy equipment to the area.
The road is particularly important to residents who rely largely on motorcycles for transportation, making road conditions a daily concern for travel, access to services and the movement of goods.
Tabique said Uy is also expected to visit other barangays personally to assess local conditions and determine what assistance or infrastructure improvements may be needed.
From isolation to road access
Lantad, located in the Balatucan mountain range, has a history tied to the communist insurgency. The community was identified in previous reports as a former stronghold of the New People's Army during the 1980s and 1990s.
Before road access was developed, reaching the community was difficult. Earlier accounts described residents relying on footpaths and horses to travel to and from the area. A road project initiated during the administration of former Gov. Oscar “Oca” Moreno eventually provided access for motorcycles and other wheeled vehicles.
The road development formed part of broader efforts to bring government services and infrastructure closer to the remote community.
In 2011, residents of Lantad approved the Lantad Manifesto, expressing their desire to live in peace and asking both the government and the National Democratic Front to respect their decision.
For residents today, however, the immediate concern is more practical: keeping the road passable.
The provincial government's latest intervention is intended to address deteriorated portions of the route and make daily travel to and from Lantad safer and more accessible.
