37% calamity funds for Cordi released

BAGUIO CITY – The national government has released P37 percent of the required P1.3 billion earlier proposed by the Cordillera office of the Department of Public Works and Highways here to rehabilitate vital roads and bridges damaged by the wrath of Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng last year.

In his report to the Cordillera Regional Disaster Coordinating Council , engineer Enrico Guilas, DPWHregional director, said the agency received a total of P496 million from the Department of Budget and Management representing 37 percent of required funds to rehabilitate all damaged roads and bridges in the different parts of the region which now causes inconveniences to the motoring public and residents living in calamity-stricken areas.

At present, project implementors are hastening completion of all projects funded by released funds in compliance to condition that all rehabilitation of calamity damages must be restored by June 30 in preparation for the rainy days so damages on roads and bridges will not be worsened by upcoming stronger rains and typhoons.

Among the vital calamity-stricken projects which were not included in the funding for immediate implementation include the restoration of two major road cuts along the Halsema highway, particularly at Km. 18 and Km. 31, all in Tublay, Benguet and the construction of breast wall and benching at the killer mountain located in Little Kibungan, Puguis, La Trinidad, Benguet.

Out of the released calamity funds, P107 million was used by the agency to pay its increasing debts to contractors for equipment rentals after numerous units of private heavy equipment were mobilized to immediately open landslides along major roads in the region after Pepeng’s wrath.

Guilas explained P113 million is still required to immediately rehabilitate the two road cuts along the Halsema highway while another P50 million is initially needed to mitigate the expected soil erosion in the killer mountain at Little Kibungan since the projects involved would be the construction of a beast wall that will serve as a containment area for debris that will fall from the mountain and the benching activities to reduce the impact of the debris on the existing houses below it.

Nearly P700 million is still supposed to be released by the national government to fully rehabilitate damaged roads and bridges in Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mountain Province and Baguio City since what was only done was to clear the debris that impedes the smooth flow of traffic but not total restoration or upgrading due to insufficient fund release.

Guilas said if damaged roads and bridges will not be restored the soonest, the government will surely spend more calamity funds to restore the same in the future once they will be again affected by upcoming rains and typhoons considering that the damaged infrastructure projects have become fragile.

The Cordillera has been discovered to be a geologically hazardous region because of its unique terrain and highly fractured soil and rock formations. -- Dexter A. See