Infrastructure of Aroroy, Masbate

TRANSPORTATION

The municipality of Aroroy, with its strategic location for business and tourism, can easily be reached from Manila, Cebu, Lucena and Bicol mainland.

From Manila, it can easily be reached via 16-hour sea travel on a passenger ship, which anchors Aroroy Port once a week and returns to Manila via Romblon. It can also be reached via 1½-hour air flight on a commercial plane from Manila, which lands Masbate Airport daily. Two passenger ships from Manila also anchor Masbate Port twice a week;

From Masbate, via Baleno-Aroroy Road either by PUJ, PUB or air-conditioned Filcab Express with travel time of approximately 2 hours.

From Cebu, large sea vessels anchor Masbate Port 3 times a week with travel time to and from Cebu of about 12 hours.

From Lucena, it can be reached using large sea vessels that anchor Masbate Port 3 times a week. Travel time to and from Lucena Port takes about 12 hours.

Likewise, from Bicol, it can be reached via smaller sea vessels that leave Pilar Port, Sorsogon almost every hour and anchor Masbate Port with a travel time of 2 hours. A similar sea vessel also makes a single trip from Aroroy to Pilar, Sorsogon and vice versa with a travel time of about 3 hours.

F r o m Poblacion, accessibility to and from other barangays are indicated in Table V.A.1, which also indicates the approximate distances between them and possible means of transportation.

TABLE V.A.1 ACCESSIBILITY OF POBLACION TO AND FROM OTHER BARANGAYS MUNICIPALITY OF AROROY YEAR 2003 BARANGAY POPULATION SERVED DISTANCE FROM POBLACION MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION Poblacion * 3,413 - Ambolong * 3,189 - Baga-uma * 2,177 - Jaboyo-an ** 1,544 4.0 kms. PUB. PUJ, Tricycle Talabaan ** 832 2.0 kms. PUB. PUJ, Tricycle Amoroy 499 7.0 kms. PUJ, Tricycle, Motor Boat Amotag 1,482 90 n.m. Motorboat

Balawing 786 10.0 kms. Motorboat Balete 667 23.0 kms. PUJ Bangon 1,797 3.0 kms. PUJ, PUB, Tricycle Cabangcalan 929 22.0 kms. PUJ Cabas-an 1,417 50.0 kms. PUJ, then Hiking Calanay 1,243 70.0 n.m. PUJ, Motor Boat Capsay 1,485 17.0 kms. 18.0 PUJ Concepcion 683 18.0 kms. PUJ Dayhagan 952 80.2 n.m. PUJ, Motor Boat D. Pablo dela Rosa

Rosa 1,542 13.0 n.m. Motor Boat Gumahang 2,788 30.0 n.m. Motor Boat Lanang 671 13.0 kms. PUJ Luy-a 2,079 17.0 kms. PUB, PUJ Macabug 993 32.0 kms. Hiking Malubi 976 18.0 kms. PUB, PUJ Managanaga 1,175 26.0 kms. PUB, PUJ Manamoc 657 42.0 kms. PUB Mariposa 1,104 10.0 n.m. Hiking Mataba 3,243 60.0 n.m. Motor Boat Matalang-talang 1,824 12.0 n.m. Motor Boat Matongog 2,789 45.0 n.m. Motor Boat Nabongsoran 914 21.0 kms. PUB, PUJ Pangle 684 23.0 kms. Hiking Panique 4,411 9.0 kms. PUB, PUJ, Tricycle Pinanaan 923 7.0 kms. PUJ, Tricycle Puro 7,386 6.0 kms. PUB, PUJ, Tricycle San Agustin 1,930 4.0 n.m. PUJ, Motor Boat San Isidro 989 15.5 kms. Motor Boat Sawang 1,342 20.0 kms. Motor Boat Syndicate 1,769 7.0 kms. PUJ, Tricycle Talib 1,209 18.0 n.m. Motor Boat Tigbao 2,307 17.5 n.m. Motor Boat Tinago 984 4.0 kms. PUB, PUJ, Tricycle Tinigban 2,389 65.0 n.m. Motor Boat Land Transportation. Road network, road classification and description, bridge and culvert inventory are tabulated in Table V.A.2 TABLE V.A.2

ROAD INVENTORY/CLASSIFICATION, CULVERT & BRIDGES INVENTORY MUNICIPALITY OF AROROY YEAR 2003

Road Name Road Classification Length (Km) Width (M) Surface Type No. of Cul- No. of Brid- Gravel Earth Conc. verts ges Aroroy-Baleno Road National Road 6.35 20.00 73% 27% 17 2 Aroroy-Mandaon Road National Road 27.30 20.00 5% 51% 44% 43 0 Siwayan-Syndicate-Pinana-an Rd. Provincial Road 9.05 15.00 100% 3 Amoroy Road Barangay Road 2.60 10.00 100% 1 Capsay Road Provincial Road 2.20 15.00 100% 4 1 Lanang Road Provincial Road 1.35 15.00 100% 3 Concepcion-Balete Road Barangay Road 4.70 10.00 100% 2 1 Malubi-Cabangcalan-Calanay Rd. Provincial Road 24.80 10.00 100% 10 Cabangcalan Road Barangay Road 3.00 10.00 100% Cabas-an Road Barangay Road 4.50 10.00 100% 1 Dayhagan Road Barangay Road 4.50 10.00 100% 2 San Agustin Road Barangay Road 3.30 10.00 100% Don Pablo Dela Rosa Road Barangay Road 16.30 10.00 100% 20 Manamoc Road Barangay Road 6.10 10.00 100% 11 1 Apalit Road Municipal Road 0.33 10.00 100% 2 2 Chavez St. Municipal Road 0.31 10.00 100% 3 San Jose St. Municipal Road 0.30 10.00 100% Celso Fabon St. Municipal Road 0.18 10.00 100% 1 Sta. Maria St. Municipal Road 0.30 10.00 100% 4 San Vicente St. Municipal Road 0.25 10.00 100% 3 1 Don Pablo Dela Rosa St. Municipal Road 0.25 10.00 100% 1 1 Nazareno St. Municipal Road 0.10 10.00 100% Inopia St. Municipal Road 0.50 10.00 100% 1 Source: Mun. Eng'g. Office

These roads are generally passable during dry season, yet some barangay roads are not during heavy rains due to lack of drainage.

Table V.A.3 also shows inventory of Land Transportation Services available and their usual route.

In summary, based from Table V.A.2 municipal roads rate only an average of 0.33 km/sq km (municipal roads-2.52 km; urban area-7.67 sq km). Likewise, rural roads rate only an average of 0.25 km/sq km (rural roads-16.06 km; rural area-455.36 sq km); standard ratio of roads per total area of land is 1 km/sq km.

Water Transportation. Aroroy has a newly rehabilitated pier (classified as Feeder Port under PPA’s port system), which can accommodate several passenger and cargo sea crafts and even large vessels. This port is equipped with a ports management office, comfort rooms and passengers’ waiting area.

TABLE V.A.4 INVENTORY OF WATER TRANSPORTATION SERVICES MUNICIPALITY OF AROROY YEAR 2003 Type of Marine Transport Facilities Location / Trip Route Condition of Facilities Capacity of Facility MARINA I. Domestic Shipping A. Cargoes M/B Royal Orient M/B Royal Express M/B Bon Voyage M/B Sto. Niño Delmar M/B Arayat B. Passenger / Cargo M/B Romblon Bay

M/B Lian-Lian V M/B Lian-Lian VI

PPA’S PORT SYSTEM I. Feeder Port

Pilar-Aroroy (Vice Versa) Pilar-Aroroy (Vice Versa) Pilar-Aroroy (Vice Versa) Pilar-Aroroy (Vice Versa) Lucena, Aroroy-Mbt. (Vice Versa) Aroroy-Romblon-Manila

   (Vice Versa)

Aroroy-Pilar (Vice Versa) Aroroy-Pilar (Vice Versa)

RFS * RFS RFS RFS RFS

RFS

RFS RFS

38.86 GRT – 26.46 NT 34.79 GRT – 23.66 NT 17.49 GRT – 11.86 NT 9.11 GRT – 6.19 NT 33.64 GRT – 22.90 NT

940.90 GRT 11.68 GRT – 7.95 NT 15.00 GRT – 10.20 NT Also listed below on Table V.A.4 are Water Transportation Services available, their trip route and capacity.

Aside from the municipal port mentioned above, there are 3 more causeways owned and constructed by some firms for their private use. Two are owned by Crown-B Agro Development & Management Corporation located at Barangays Dayhagan and Don Pablo Dela Rosa which can both accommodate small to medium sea crafts and 1 owned by Atlas Consolidated Mining and Development Corporation (now Filminera Resources) located at Barangay Puro.

Air Transportation. There are 2 airports in the municipality both owned and constructed by private firms; one is by Atlas Consolidated Mining and Development Corporation (now Filminera Resources) located at Barangay Amoroy and the other is by Crown-B Agro Development and Management Corporation located at Barangay Calanay. Both can accommodate small aircrafts.

COMMUNICATION

TABLE V.B.2 TELECOMMUNICATIONS OFFICE MUNICIPALITY OF AROROY YEAR 2003 Description Capacity / Capability Average Volume of Telegrams per Year Service Capability

Facilities

Personnel

3,963

Full Rate Telegrams

  Telegraphic Transfer
  Social Telegrams

Radio Transceiver (icom ic

     M700 ty
  Power Supply
  Antenna for Radio Trans-
     ceiver
  Telephone Handset
  Telephone Booths
  Antenna Tower for 
      Telephone
  Safety Vault

(1) Officer In-charge

  (1)  Messenger

Source: Telecom Office, Aroroy

B. COMMUNICATION

Postal Services. There is only 1 Postal Service Office in the municipality located at Poblacion. This office covers mail and package distribution (for both local and international) and postal money order. Table V.B.1 tabulates its service capability, facilities and personnel.

At present, the municipality has a ratio of 1 post office : 72,764 population (projected from Table II.A.1). However, the standard ratio of post office to population is 1:5000 (urban) and 1 : 10,000 (rural).

TABLE V.B.1 POSTAL SERVICE OFFICE YEAR 2003 Description Capacity / Capability Average Volume of Letters per Year Average Amount

    of Postal 
    Money Order

Service Capability

Facilities Personnel

20,000

P 480,000.00

Mail Distribution

   Package Distribution
   Money Order

(1) Typewriter

(1) Postmaster

  (1)  Postman

Source: Postal Service Office, Aroroy

Telegram System. There is only 1 telegram station in the municipality also located at Poblacion, which is the Telecommunications Office. It is a government-owned station under the Department of Transportation and Communication. Table V.B.2 tabulates its service capability, facilities and number of personnel.

Telephone System. There are 2 Cellular Sites in the municipality provided by the Smart Communications and Globe Telecommunications companies.

Also, some households use Satellite Telephones (using phone cards) but because of its high cost of maintenance, very few are able to afford it.

Two-Way Radio. The LGU has a two-way radio with its station located at the Municipal Hall and so with other 40 barangays with stations located at their respective barangay halls (or any strategic place) which provides easy communication among them.

Media Communication. The most common and the cheapest source of information in far-flung barangays is through the radio. This is their most accessible source of information for both local and national eventualities.

However, Centro Aroroy (Barangays Poblacion, Baga-uma and Ambolong) have both the radio and television media as their link to national and international eventualities. There is 1 cable TV system serving the area, which is the NBB Cable System of which majority of households in Centro Aroroy avail.

WATER

At present, there is an existing level III water system, the source of which is the Deep Well located at Barangay Syndicate about 7 km. south of Poblacion. This system is operated and managed by the Aroroy Water District, has a sufficient capacity to supply 16 barangays including the Centro Aroroy.

There are also 23 other barangays which depend on developed spring, source of which are usually from their own barangays and are funded out of the 20% Barangay Development Fund. Therefore, the rest of the 14 barangays are dependent either on open dug wells, rainwater and deep wells.

Barangays with water system (except that of AWD) are operated and managed by Barangay Waterworks and Sanitation Associations (BWSAs) whose members are composed of the owners and users of these facilities.

In summary, based from the projected population for the year 2003 and with an average of 6 persons per HH, only 60 households out of 12,127 or 0.49% are able to avail safe and potable water right in their homes (Level III). Based from standards, safe and potable water should reach 100% of the total households.

However, the proposed expansion of Bangon water system, which shall cover barangays Ambolong, Baga-uma, Puro and Syndicate will surely augment the increasing demand for safe and potable water. This project starts on October of 2003 and expected to be completed on July of 2004. It is a 32.236 million-peso project, P23.846 million of which is a loan package under the Small Towns Water Supply Sector project of the ADB through LWUA; P2.355 million is Aroroy Water District equity. It is expected to have a total discharge capacity of 31.5 liters per second projected to supply an additional 999 households.

POWER

TABLE V.D.1 POWER SERVICE MUNICIPALITY OF AROROY YEAR 2003 Description Capacity / Capability Power Supply Capacity Source Number of House Connections Ambolong Baga-uma Jaboyoan Poblacion Tinago

   TOTAL

Facilities Available

Personnel

14.4 Mega-watts

Napocor Power Barge 105

- 150 - 136 - 36 - 392 - 23

- Existing Distribution Lines, 13.2

  (Consisting of Poles & Con-   
    ductors)

- (1) Lineman Maintenance

  (1)  Collector

Source: MASELCO, Pinamurbuhan, Mobo, Masbate

Power supply in the municipality is being served by Masbate Electric Cooperative (MASELCO) under the administrative supervision of the National Electrification Administration (NEA). Table V.D.1 tabulates power supply capacity, source, and number of households being served.

From Table V.D.1, out of the 41 barangays, only 5 are being served by MASELCO. However, for the 33 barangays not being served by MASELCO, there are private individuals which supply electricity for those who chose to avail (usually 6 hours a day) at a very high cost. The remaining 3 other barangays are generally dependent on lamps for lighting purposes. Based from standards, power supply should reach 100% of the total household.

Infrastructure of Aroroy, Masbate

Contents