Manila Bulletin
JOLO, Sulu – The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines (JSOTF-P) has recently inaugurated a new road in Talipao, Sulu, JSOTF-P public affairs head Lt. Junior Grade Theresa Donnelly said.
Donnelly said hundreds of residents in Barangay Kandayok and various government leaders witnessed the inauguration of the 1.9-kilometer Kandayok-Bagsak road that runs through several isolated villages throughout the Talipao municipality.
Sulu Gov. Abdusakur M. Tan, Brig. Gen. Rustico Guerrero, commander of the Joint Task Force Comet, and United States (US) Army Maj. Scott Malone, JSOTF-P Task Force Sulu commander, also witnessed the inauguration of the new road.
The ceremony also included a Medical Civic Action Project in Barangay Kandayok, where AFP and JSOTF-P medical staff treated more than 120 patients.
This road is good and will allow for more comfortable travel. I can now transport my harvested corn and casaba more easily to the market, a farmer who lives in the area said.
Donnelly said most of Talipao residents rely on farming for their income and previously had limited ways to get their produce to the market.
JSOTF-P funded the project on September while the AFP’s Marine Battalion Landing Team-11 provided security during the construction, while authorities supervised all aspects of the construction, ensuring that the road meets all the standard requirements, she said.
At the turnover ceremony, Ahmad Puddi, the village chieftain of Barangay Bagsak, affirmed the significance of the road and the collaborative efforts of JSOTF-P and the AFP, the JSOTF-P spokeswoman said.
“Because of this road, it is now much easier for our people to transport their goods. Thanks to all of you. Without the AFP and US forces, there would be no good road,” Puddi said.
http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/233872/afp-jsotfp-open-new-road-isolated-villages-sulu