LEGAZPI CITY, Septembet 11 - - WITH THE ANTICIPATED INCREASE in the volume of motorists and vehicles plying the stretch of the Maharlika National Highway in the provinces of Camarines Sur, Albay and Sorsogon , as the regional Peñafrancia festivity starts on Friday (Sept. 11), motorists' assistance centers have been fielded by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) regional office to assist travelers from Sept. 11 to 21, this year .
DPWH Bicol director Danilo C. Manalang announced on Thurs. (Sept. 10) that fielded motorists' assistance teams of the public works, are composed of engineers, car mechanics, equipment operators and other service crew, who are able to render roadside emergency repairs to vehicles that have broken-down along the Maharlika Highway route.
Manalang said the DPWH's program to assist motorists, dubbed as "Lakbay Alalay Program" will field 24-hour service crew on Sept. 11, 18 and 19, the important dates of the Peñafrancia festivity, in which the traffic of vehicles bound for Naga City are expected to increase in the national highways.
He added that "except for these three days, DPWH crew will man the centers from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M." during the 11-day duration of the festivity in Naga City.
The DPWH "Lakbay Alalay" assistance centers are strategically located along the Maharlika Highway: at the DPWH Sub-office, Agrupacion, Ragay; at Barangay Tambo, Pamplona town; at the Traffic Management Group headquarters in Conception Grande, Naga City; at the diversion crossing in the Municipality of Baao; and at Bato Resthouse, Agos, Bato, all in Camarines Sur province.
In Albay province, the centers are located at the front of the DPWH, 2nd district office, Ligao City; at the Weighbridge, Polangui, Albay; while in Sorsogon province, they are at the Sorsogon DPWH, district office at Pepita Park, Bucalbucalan, Sorsogon City and the DPWH Sorsogon sub-district office at San Pedro, Irosin, Sorsogon. (SONNY SALES)