Priests call for action on unfinished infra projects

By Rhaydz Barcia

LEGAZPI CITY --- With several infrastructure projects in Albay left unfinished by Sunwest Inc., a construction firm linked to Ako Bicol founder and resigned House representative Elizaldy S. Co, missionary priests of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT) have urged Albay officials and concerned government agencies to take immediate action on the abandoned works, which they say have caused serious flooding and hardship in the island communities of Cagraray and Rapu-Rapu.

In a petition letter signed by SOLT priests and members of the BARACAS Cluster and addressed to Albay Governor Noel Rosal; First District Rep. Cielo Krisel B. Lagman; Second District Rep. Carlos “Caloy” Andes Loria; Bacacay Mayor Daniel Jose Bombales; Rapu-Rapu Mayor Romel Galicia; and regional officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Bicol, the clergy said communities in Batan, Rapu-Rapu, and Cagraray islands continue to suffer from landslides, water scarcity, and worsening road conditions.

“In these past weeks and months, many of our communities in Batan, Rapu-Rapu, and Cagraray islands continue to suffer from landslides, scarcity of water resources, and persistently worsening roads. Development should have provided ease in life, but instead it has contributed to their misery and difficulties,” the statement read.

Cagraray Island is part of the municipality of Bacacay in Albay’s first district under Rep. Lagman, while Batan and Rapu-Rapu are in the second district under Rep. Loria.

“As priests assigned to these parishes, we stand daily with the people who must endure these conditions,” the clergy said. “We have seen parents carry their children through unsafe paths, families forced to buy potable water at additional expense, farmers abandon produce because it cannot be transported, workers and students risk injury just to reach their destinations, and the elderly and sick suffer added distress due to inaccessible and hazardous roads. What was once a manageable daily routine has now become a painful struggle.”

The priests lamented that much of the hardship is not caused by natural factors alone. “What pains our people even more is the realization that much of the hardship is rooted not in nature alone but in the unmitigated greed of a few, resulting in unfinished and haphazard road works that have left several low-lying barangays more vulnerable to flooding and neglect,” the statement said.

“Moved by pastoral concern and united in our mission to uphold the dignity and welfare of the communities entrusted to our care, we come together to raise this urgent appeal. Our intention is not political, but moral. It is rooted in compassion, justice, and the responsibility we all share in safeguarding our people from harm,” it added.

The clergy called on lawmakers, the provincial government, local chief executives, and DPWH and DENR regional offices to immediately intervene in the unfinished projects to protect residents of Cagraray, Batan, and Rapu-Rapu, who suffer flooding whenever heavy rains or weather disturbances occur.

They specifically asked authorities to provide a clear and transparent update on the true status of the unfinished projects; undertake immediate measures to ease travel and reduce worsening risks; resume and complete road works without delay while ensuring quality construction and adherence to proper engineering standards; rehabilitate water catchment areas affected by construction; and involve local communities and their leaders in transparent consultations.

“Our communities deserve roads that connect, not endanger; infrastructure that uplifts, not burdens; and leadership that acts with urgency, integrity, and genuine concern for the people,” the priests said. “We remain committed to walking with our parishioners, but we also believe that their cry for safety, dignity, and relief must now be heard clearly and acted upon without hesitation.”

The petition letter was signed by Fr. Efren Bantog, parish priest of St. John Nepomuceno Parish, Bonga, Bacacay; Fr. Jerry Llona, parish priest of Sta. Florentina Parish, Rapu-Rapu; Fr. Amigo Bringino, parish priest of St. Joseph the Worker Parish, Villahermosa, Rapu-Rapu; Fr. Wilfredo Alvarado, parish priest of Sacred Heart Parish, Cagraray, Bacacay; Fr. Reynato Padilla, parish priest of St. Michael the Archangel Parish, San Miguel, Tabaco City; Fr. Rey Daet, parish priest of Holy Rosary Parish, Badian, Oas; Fr. Wilfredo Villanueva, team leader of the Trinitas Contemplative Center, Bonga, Bacacay; Fr. Efren Borromeo of Mary’s Healing Sanctuary, Lidong, Sto. Domingo; Fr. Jerlie Millena of Mary’s Healing Sanctuary, Lidong, Sto. Domingo; Fr. Pedro Balde Jr., parochial vicar of St. John Nepomuceno Parish, Bonga, Bacacay; Fr. Ronilo Guiana Jr., parochial vicar of Sta. Florentina Parish, Rapu-Rapu; Fr. Adrian Lasin, parochial vicar of St. Joseph the Worker Parish, Villahermosa, Rapu-Rapu; Fr. Edwin Barlizo, parochial vicar of Sacred Heart Parish, Cagraray Island, Bacacay; and Fr. Agustin Datu, parochial vicar of St. Michael the Archangel Parish, San Miguel Island, Tabaco City.

In Cagraray Island, the priests noted that several water sources and rivers have dried up following road construction, as main water sources were covered and numerous trees uprooted. Flooding, they added, now affects not only residential communities but also schools.