TACLOBAN CITY, May 3 -- The Philippine Army has built a PHP6.17-million hanging bridge to provide access to five communities previously affected by decades of clashes between government forces and the New People's Army (NPA) rebels in San Jorge, Samar.

Before the completion of the bridge in Buenavista village, the five communities were accessible via a two-to-four-hour hike, prompting the military to prioritize the bridge project of the local task force to end local communist armed conflict, the Philippine Army said.

"Despite the current situation, the locals opted to live in these far-flung areas since farming is their only means of livelihood," it said in a statement Friday.

The five recipient villages of San Jorge town are Matalud, ...