Photo credit: DPWH

Motorists and commuters traveling between Samar and Leyte can soon expect a smoother and faster journey, as the government rushes to complete temporary repairs along the Maharlika Highway ahead of the busy Holy Week season.

According to Vince Dizon, the repairs are being fast-tracked to make sure the major highway is fully passable before the influx of travelers heading to the provinces for the Lenten break.

Dizon said the directive came from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who wants the road sections reopened in time so motorists won’t have to endure long hours of traffic.

“Kailangan before Holy Week ay completely madaanan na nang buo ang Maharlika,” Dizon said, stressing the urgency of finishing the ongoing repairs.

Once completed, travelers moving through the key route—from Quezon Province to the Bicol Region and onward to Samar and Leyte—will no longer have to deal with the nearly seven-hour traffic ordeal that previously affected the area.

Dizon personally inspected the situation on the ground to ensure that regional officials and engineers deliver on the timeline.

He said the goal is clear: finish the temporary fixes quickly so that all one-way sections along the highway will be open to traffic weeks before Holy Week.

With only about three weeks left before the Lenten travel rush, authorities are racing against time to complete the work and ease the burden on motorists and commuters heading home to their provinces.

Officials said the repairs are part of ongoing efforts to maintain one of the country’s most important road networks, which connects several major regions in the eastern Philippines.