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Infrastructure
Roads and Transpost
The main artery of Gloria's road network is the 11km. National Highway that links the 15 municipalities of Oriental Mindoro. Intersecting this thoroughfare are the barangay, municipal and provincial roads that serve the Poblacion, the lowland, upland, and coastal barangays of Gloria. There are nine major bridges located along the National Highway. These are the Maligaya, Balete, Langang, Buayahan, Tinalunan, Bulbogan, Linao, Banus, and Agsalin Bridges. Other bridges that link portions of the inner barangays are the Kawit, Papandungin, and Guimbonan Bridges. Gloria's road network is a combination of asphalt, concrete, and gravel roads, and has a total road length of 109.31 kilometers. The National Highway, the streets within the Poblacion, and roads access to the barangays in its proximity, are mostly made of concrete. The roads leading towards the remote barangays are, on the other hand, mostly gravel or dirt roads.
The M. Adriatico bridge in between barangays Papandungin and M. Adriatico is now constructed through the President's Bridge program of the Department of Public Works and Highways. Problems of accessibility does not anymore affect the outlying upland barangays of Buong Lupa, Mirayan, and Malubay because of road improvement and concreting projects done in 2003 under ARISP II-ARC of DAR. In CY 2004 until 2006, a greater number of barangay roads were opened due to the availability of the pool of municipal heavy equipment. Water, Drainage, Sewerage System
Water
At present, no Local Waterworks System serves the municipality. A large portion of the populace rely heavily on free flowing water and other sources such as rivers, and springs. Numerous wells have been bored from underground and are presently sources of potable water. Free-flowing water sources are located in the barangays of Kawit, Narra, Agos, A. Bonifacio, San Antonio, Lucio Laurel, Sta. Theresa, and G. Antonino. Free-flowing water comes from pipes connected to underground aquifers. Water flows freely to serve the requirements of a number of households at one time. Some households augment their water pressure requirement by installing jetmatic pumps or pitcher pumps. As of 2007, there are only two (2) communal water systems that serve the barangays of Gloria. They are Barangay Tamblong and Malamig. These barangays have constructed systems of collecting water from simple water pumps, storing it in overhead tanks and distributing it to a number of houses through a network of pipes. Some private individuals who can afford, have constructed their own water systems.
There are 5,471 households with access to safe water through their own level I water sources.On the other hand, there are 371 households with access to level II-type of water sources (2007). A World Bank-assisted preparation of feasibility study for level III water system covering the whole of Barangay Maligaya, portion of Barangays Bulaklakan, Tambong, and Kawit was temporarily shelved by the present administration.
Drainge, Sanitation and Sewerage
At present, there is no public sewerage system in Gloria. Domestic wastewater is disposed through soil percolation, drainage canals or directly to surface water bodies. The national government, through the Department of Public Works and Highways is gradually constructing a concrete and closed drainage canal systems along the national highway at the town center in Maligaya. Barangays Lucio Laurel, Sta Maria and some other barangays have open drainage canals that are located mostly along the National Highway or provincial road. Septic tanks reduce the pollution load but these are not maximized as these are usually poorly designed and constructed, and has little maintenance. The septic tanks are not extensively used in the rural areas and, as of end of 2007, there are only about 5,743 households with sanitary toilets. Correspondingly, on the same period there are 2,059 households with sanitary garbage disposal system.
Power and Telecommunication
Power
Power services in Gloria are currently provided by the National Electrification Administration through the Oriental Mindoro Electric Cooperative Inc. (ORMECO). During the early 2000, ORMECO has also been sourcing the power requirement from private power provider. The local electric cooperative is presently serving the total 27 barangays of Gloria. While all the barangays are already energized since the last quarter of 2001 unserved areas are the interior zones (sitios or puroks) mostly of the barangays in the interior. As of January 2000, there are 2,733 households served by the electric cooperative. Some families specially those in the business sector, have their own electricity-generating units which are used during the intermitent brownouts. Power interruptions usually occur during the summer months of March to May and whenever there are typoons and other natural calamities.
Telecommunications
Calapan Telecommunication System Inc. (CATSI) provides for the land-based telecommunication service needs of Gloria. Telephone lines are installed in the municipal hall, business establishments, institutions and some private homes. In the past, the means of communication between and among barangays is through hand held radios that each Punong Barangay (Brg. Captain) has in possession. A CATSI public calling station which was located in the Poblacion also provided for the telecommunication needs of the local residents in the late 1990s. SMART and GLOBE cellular phone services installed their transmission towers in various strategic barangays providing greater access for communication in the municipality.
The introduction of SMART Broadband has paved the way for the establishment of some Internet Cafes which are mostly located in the Poblacion or town center. Also, the municipal government has opened early in 2008 the Community E-Center located at the municipal Gymnasium. A local cable company in the neighboring town in Pinamalayan provides for the cable TV and other related services in Gloria. The Bureau of Telecommunications has ceased operation of its telegraph station in one of the offices in the Municipal Building due to popularity and affordability of cellular phones.
The Office of Municipal Engineer
Engr. Victorio Reinhold O. Punzalan
Municipal Quadrangle, Poblacion, Gloria, Oriental Mindoro 5209
Tel: +63(043) 284-3538;Email: |