LANAO del Sur - Governor Mamintal “Bombit” Alonto Adiong, Jr. of Lanao del Sur officially traversed the now passable Wao-Maguing road, also known as “The Dream Road”, in the morning of April 4, 2016 and seen to boost the agricultural sector and trade between Bukidnon and Lanao del Sur. It took him and his convoy two and half hours to reach the municipalities of Amai Manabilang and Wao from Marawi City using the said road. In the past, residents of mainland Lanao del Sur would travel eight hours to go to the towns of Wao and Amai Manabilang of the same province and had to first pass through Lanao del Norte, Iligan City, Misamis Oriental, Cagayan de Oro and Bukidnon. According to Engr. Mikunug Macabantog of DPWH Region 10, 11.3 kilometers of the 75-kilometer national road is still being concreted and shall be completed once the funds allotted for it from the 2016 budget is fully released. Macabantog also said that DPWH has already requested for the inclusion of additional funds in the amount of P255 million in the 2017 national budget to fully concretize the remaining 6.5 km unpaved portion of the Dream Road and another P152 million for the construction of five permanent bridges necessary to connect the road. Plans for the Wao-Maguing road, now jointly constructed by Fiat Construction and CDH Construction, started in the later part of the 1950s when Senator Ahmad Domocao Alonto, Sr. lobbied for the approval of the allotment of funds for the said project when he was a member of the Senate Committee on Public Works and Highways. Because Alonto was not re-elected, the budget was diverted to another province in Mindanao. When his son-in-law, Congressman Mamintal Adiong, Jr., was elected into office, Alonto urged Adiong to continue the plans for the Dream Road. Adiong died during his second term as governor and the continuation of the Wao-Maguing Road was shelved. His sons, Bombit and Ansaruddin, continued the plan to construct the project when they got elected as governor and congressman respectively. Governor Bombit Adiong said he was overjoyed seeing the Dream Road becoming a reality in his administration because of the history behind the said project which involved his family. He added that the Wao-Maguing Road shall make it easier for farmers of Bukidnon and Lanao del Sur to sell cheaper fresh agricultural crops to one another thereby enhancing the economy and livelihood opportunities in his province. He also added that monitoring the implementation of his programs in Wao and Amai Manabilang towns would be easier. Congressman Ansaruddin Adiong said he shall continue doing everything he can for the Dream Road to be fully concrete by 2017 should he win the Lanao del Sur first district congressional seat once more on election day this year. pr