MORE NEWS, BAGUIO CITY

25 Cordillera bridges set for UK funding

By Dexter A. See

BAGUIO CITY – The Cordillera Regional Development Council here is seeking the inclusion of at least 25 bridges in the different parts of the region under the government’s Bridges for Prosperity

Acceleration of the Department of Public Works and Highways for funding with the United Kingdom financing facility to hasten infrastructure development in rural areas which would translate to economic development in the future.

The funding of the bridges is in accordance to one of the development agenda of the medium term Cordillera development plan, specifically physical integration, a development strategy which aims to physically integrate all the provinces in the region through an aggressive investment in roads and bridges as well as in alternative transport systems so that inter and intra mobility is improved, thus, enhancing the socio-economic development of the Cordillera.

The Cordillera has the highest percentage of old and dilapidated bridges along national roads nationwide with 83 out of 294 or 28 percent classified as temporary or dilapidated.

All the 25 proposed bridge projects were duly endorsed by their respective local development councils to strengthen the possible acquisition of funding support from the UK financing facility. The bridge projects are Pagpagatpat bridge in Tayum, Abra; Buyukan bridge – Kabugao, Apayao; Dallawas I bridge – Calanasan, Apayao; Dallawas II bridge – Calanasan, Apayao; Matalag bridge – Conner, Apayao; Alluway bridge – Calanasan, Apayao; Mapalong bridge – Calanasan, Apayao; Asin II bridge – Baguio City; Malikliko bridge – Bakun, Benguet; Paeo bridge – Tublay, Benguet; Namalitok bridge – Bakun, Benguet; Ibulao bridge – Lagawe, Ifugao; Guihob bridge – Banaue, Ifugao; Aliog bridge – Tabuk City, Kalinga; Cawcawayan bridge – Pinukpuk, Kalinga; A. Canao bridge – Tabuk City, Kalinga; Tanudan bridge – Tanudan, Kalinga; Charoya bridge – Barlig, Mountain province; Agoggo I bridge – Barlig, Mountain province; Agoggo II bridge – Barlig, Mountain province; Makachay bridge – Barlig, Mountain province; Cadre bridge – Bontoc, Mountain province; Saligking bridge – Barlig bridge and Calacaban bridge – Tadian, Mountain province.

The peculiar terrain in the cordillera warrants the establishment of bridges to provide easier access in transporting goods from one side of a mountain to another and for people to easily go to different places without going into the circuitous pathways and roads. The RDC cited the inclusion of the bridges in the UK financing facility would ensure the completion of the pending bridge projects and would spur economic development in far flung areas of the region because of improved access since infrastructure development translates to improved economic activities by the people in the affected areas.

The 25 bridge projects have a total length of 1,206.5 lineal meters and will link numerous isolated communities to urban areas in the different towns and provinces of the region.

UK has been providing funding for various bridge projects in the country for the past several decades such as the President’s bridge program and other bridge projects that were implemented in far flung areas nationwide.


300 hectares Cordi forests lost yearly to logging, fires, farms
By Dexter A See

BAGUIO CITY – The regional Department of Environment and Natural Resources said the region is losing over 300 hectares of forest yearly. Data gathered from the DENR office show that 317.78 hectares of forest areas are lost every year in different parts of the region due to timber poaching, fires, and rampant conversion of forest lands into agricultural purposes.

The alarming rate in the loss of forests prompted the DENR, the National Irrigation Administration and the Department of Agrarian Reform to appeal for collective effort to preserve the region’s remaining forests. They also asked for sufficient fund support by other concerned national agencies and lowland communities for the reforestation efforts.

Aside from the rampant loss of flora and fauna, the rapid degradation of forests poses a serious threat to the availability of water in the Cordillera and other parts of Northern Luzon. This is feared to trigger a water crisis in Northern Luzon in the next two years if no drastic, immediate effort is done to preserve and protect the remaining watersheds and forests.

Benguet has recorded the highest annual forest loss, which is 266.01 hectares or approximately 85 percent of the total devastated forest areas in the region.

Some 29.66 hectares of forests and watersheds are converted into agricultural purposes every year, DENR data showed.

However, DENR officials said that forest preservation is the job alone of the agency, but also other government agencies such as NIA, which has embarked on a sustained reforestation program in a bid to preserve the watersheds which are the major sources of irrigation water for the lowland.

Meanwhile, Apayao posted the biggest number of forest areas lost to timber poaching, and it had also the biggest volume of confiscated forest products in a three-year period starting 2005.
The DENR reported that Apayao is losing 39.83 cubic meters of timber yearly. In 2005, the same province lost 69.77 cubic meters of forest products taken from a forest area of .98 hectare.

In three years, 119.9 cubic meters of timber were confiscated in Apayao. For the same period, Kalinga recorded 66.77 cubic meters of timber confiscated from .31 hectare of forest land; and Benguet, 34.62 cubic meters or an annual average loss of 11.45 cubic meters.

Despite the relentless efforts of concerned government agencies and private-sector partners to instill discipline in the people, the denudation of forests is still rampant in Benguet.

The region’s forests remain to be the habitat of wild animals, like the cloud rat which is considered to be a very rare species by biologists who conducted recently a research in the forests in the Cordillera.


DSWD gets top rating nationwide

BAGUIO CITY -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development for the fifth time, ranked first in the July 2008 Ulat ng Bayan survey of Pulse Asia, garnering the highest approval rating of 65 percent among 20 agencies in the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the government – both local and national.

The public’s positive response to DSWD as reflected in the July 2008 Ulat ng Bayan inspired Social Welfare and Development Secretary Esperanza I. Cabral to say that “this gives us more reason to continue pursuing quality programs and social services that will benefit the poor, vulnerable and the disadvantaged.” In the Cordillera, DSWD Regional Director Porfiria M. Bernardez said “this achievement shows how serious the government is in dealing with the plight of the poor and marginalized.”

Results from the Ulat ng Bayan Survey of Pulse Asia conducted between July 1 to 14, 2008 indicated that DSWD once again garnered the highest approval rating (65%) among the more than 20 national government agencies included in the survey.

“The honor is for the men and women of DSWD who painstakingly deliver the programs and services to our clients in the region. Amid the criticism in our programs, we will continue to deliver what is due our people in the Cordillera,” Director Bernardez added.

DSWD led the Pulse Asia survey in the last quarter of 2006 with the Department of Health, with a rating of 60 percent. In June 2007, the agency topped the list when it received 69 percent.

DSWD tied with the Department of Education on the top spot in December 2007 with 61 percent approval rating while it again bagged the top spot in the March 2008 survey with 67 percent approval rating.

Last year, DSWD was first in the compliance to the implementation of the Integrity Development Action Plan (IDAP). It also garnered 93 percent rating in the government’s Energy Conservation Program.

DSWD continues to implement pro-poor programs in the region such as the Tindahan Natin, Self-Employment Assistance Kaunlaran (SEA-K), the Kapit-bisig Laban sa Kahirapan- Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) and its complimentary grant facilities, and the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).


Mayor bats for sharing power with b’gay execs
By Isagani S. Liporada

BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Reinaldo Bautista, Jr. bared his office and the local Dept. of Interior and Local Government are planning on sharing executive power with barangays.”

During a press briefing, he said he and DILG city field office director Evelyn Trinidad were looking into the possibility of sharing “some executive powers among city councilors who shall be made care-takers of the 129-barangays divided into 15-districts.”

Bautista said the plan, a first in the country, is geared towards bringing services closer to the constituents of the city. “Normally, a chief executive would try to hold on to as much power as he can… but not in our city and under our administration.”

“Once we are able to do this,” he said, “our councilors can easily assess and address various concerns of their respective districts via needed legislation and possibly, through direct consultation with our office who is tasked under Republic Act 7160 to prepare the annual city budget.”

Bautista said the executive branch cannot go it alone in trying to address the minutest concerns of barangays.

“With this innovation, I am sure that aside from addressing barangay needs, we shall likewise be instituting a tight-neat local government,” he added.

Meanwhile, Trinidad clarified the division of 129-barangays into districts is “not political in nature as what Congressional districts are.”

”As thus,” she said, “it will not go against established provisions of the RA 7160, particularly in non-delegation of powers further delegated by Congress to the local chief executive.”

“In fact,” she said, “our local legislators are being tapped to lead some city special projects which is permitted under the code which is why we have councilors taking care of some special events or some ad hoc committees under the office of the mayor.”

The only problem confronting the plan right now is the number of voters per district. We cannot just divide the districts on the basis of the number of barangays because the population in some is much greater than the others.”

“To ensure that our local legislators would accede to the plan,” she added, “we need to find a way to at least approximate equal number of voters per council district.”