PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday said Samar province has come a long way when it comes to fighting insurgency with five of its municipalities being declared to have "stable internal peace and security status."

In his speech during the distribution of presidential assistance to farmers, fisherfolk and their families in Calbayog City, Marcos said 186 community support programs have already been established in Samar which helped 63 former rebels to date.

"Insurgency is among the hindrances to the province's development. Despite that, we have come a long way as at least five municipalities have already declared stable internal peace and security status," Marcos said, referring to the municipalities of San Sebastian, Pagsanghan, Tarangnan, Sta. Margarita, and Sto. Niño.

The President urged Samar residents to continue supporting government measures to ensure peace and prosperity in the province.

"The government is investing in new infrastructure projects, creating livelihood opportunities, and enforcing peace and order in Samar to encourage more rebels to surrender," he said.

Last year, Marcos expressed confidence that communist rebel groups would be dismantled in Northern Samar.

Meanwhile, the President distributed nearly P100 million in financial assistance to farmers and fisherfolk affected by the El Niño phenomenon in Samar, Northern Samar and Eastern Samar.

Marcos handed over P50 million to Samar Gov. Sharee Ann Tan, P25.99 million to Northern Samar Gov. Edwin Marino Ongchuan and P19.30 million to Eastern Samar Gov. Ben Evardone.

In the same speech, Marcos told farmers and fisherfolk of the whole-of-government approach to address the effects of the El Niño phenomenon in their province that affected more than 3,000 families in three municipalities in Samar and Eastern Samar.

He also acknowledged the significant contribution of the farmers and fisherfolk to the development of the province and the country as a whole.

"Because of this, your government is here to make you feel our support for you who toil to ensure that we have food on the table," Marcos said.

Aside from the financial assistance from the Office of the President, the President said the Department of Agriculture (DA), through the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, provided fishing gear and other equipment.

The Agricultural Credit Policy Council of the DA will also extend a P35-million credit fund for Northern Samar Multi-Purpose Cooperative and Rural Bank of Calbayog City.

Shallow Water Payao systems were also extended to fisherfolk, under the Special Area for Agricultural Development Phase II Program.

The Department of Trade Industry provided Shared Service Facilities to the Samar Multi-Purpose Cooperative.

The Technical Education And Skills Development Authority distributed starter toolkits to 50 scholars. It also allocated P300,000 for training support.Marcos said the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) extended over P6 million to over 1,500 beneficiaries of its Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers in Almagro, Gandara and Tagapul-an.

The DoLE also distributed P5.08 million to 161 beneficiaries under the Integrated Livelihood Program, as well as over P650,000 to 85 beneficiaries under the Government Internship Program.

Marcos assured the residents that the government would work double time to improve their lives and ensure that all necessary assistance would be provided to them.

He also promised the immediate rehabilitation of the deteriorated segments of Maharlika Highway in Samar province.

"One of the things we are focusing on is fixing the infrastructure here in Samar so your economy will further improve," Marcos said.

"There are parts that were broken in Maharlika Highway, which is a big problem for the residents here, so we earmarked more than P1.4 billion to fix and maintain this road," he added.

The President said he expects the swift completion of the initial projects in Maharlika Highway from November 2024 to March 2025.

Marcos also announced plans to expand streets in Samar to improve the flow of traffic.

Included in these plans are the Basey-Marabut-Pinamitinan Road, Wright-Taft Borongan Road, and the construction of the P100-million Catbalogan Drainage System to prevent flooding in Calbayog City.

The President said he expects the Department of Public Works and Highways will concentrate on the road projects to ensure that they will be completed at the soonest possible time.

The Maharlika Highway was completed during the administration of the late former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr.

Spanning 3,379.73 kilometers, the land segment — roads and bridges — of the highway linked Eastern Visayas to Luzon via Northern Samar province and to Mindanao through Southern Leyte province.

"This is why we continuously address your needs to help you in your recovery from the hardships we faced during the drought," Marcos said.

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