P464 M needed to restore roads

BAGUIO CITY — At least P464 million is still needed by the Cordillera Administrative Region office of the Department of Public works and Highways to rehabilitate and restore major road networks linking this mountain resort city and the lowlands after all three roads were heavily damaged by the onslaught of typhoon “Pepeng” last month.

While roads leading to the city are already open to vehicular traffic, engineer Roy Manao, DPWH regional director, said there is still a long way to go in restoring the Kennon Road, Marcos Highway and Naguilian Road to their previous status prior to the typhoon to allay the fears of motorists that it is dangerous to travel in and out of the city.

According to him, the agency is still awaiting the funds to be released by the national government to fast track the rehabilitation and restoration of the numerous damages inflicted on the three major road networks linking the Cordillera and the rest of Northern Luzon.

Despite the lack of funds to implement rehabilitation works, Manao claimed some project implementers have taken the risk of slowly restoring road cuts and slope protection walls damaged by the typhoons to allow the smooth flow of traffic for the benefit of increased tourist arrivals, especially with the onset of the Yuletide Season.

Marcos Highway, the supposed all-weather road envisioned by project implementers, suffered the biggest damage after a huge portion of the road was washed out which prompted the DPWH and project implementers to cut through a portion of the mountain to serve as a temporary road for all types of vehicles.

The DPWH-CAR official called on lawmakers who have jurisdiction over Marcos Highway, Kennon and Naguilian roads to allocate a portion of their Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) for rehabilitation of the three roads while they are awaiting the releases from the national government. – Dexter A. See