Kalinga-Abra road linking Luzon regions upgraded

By Peter A. Balocnit

TABUK CITY, Kalinga - - The Kalinga-Abra road which links north Luzon regions to economic zones in Cagayan Valley, Ilocos and the Cordillera as earlier planned under the North Luzon Growth Quadrangle is being upgraded with a budget of P180 million.

Engineer Teodoro Owek, Kalinga District Engineering Office construction section chief said access of the three regions to the economic zones would be easier, safe, comfortable with less travel time once the roads are fully repaired.

This East-West lateral road which passes through Kalinga interconnects three regions to economic zones of Poro Point in La Union, Port Irene in Sta. Ana, Cagayan, Laoag international airport in Ilocos Norte, and Philippine Economic Zone in Baguio City.

Owek said the vital road link will promote tourism industry in the three regions with domino effects on employment and revenue generation. “It also promotes stronger social and cultural relations when people relate with each other, work together and live in peaceful co-existence,” Owek said.

Owek said the Kalinga-Abra arterial road receives yearly appropriations from the Department of Public Works and Highways.

The Cordillera regional office of DPWH is implementing P80 million and KDEO P50 million or a total of P130 million to improve the road aside from 11 bridges to replace old bridges and convert them into 2-lane bridges.

On a wider connection, he said north Luzon will link the Asian regional market particularly to the Philippine economic partner states of Taiwan, Singapore, Hongkong, Hawaii, Japan and Korea.

“Foreign direct investment will flow to these regions given the presence of ecozones and inter-regional access,” Owek said.

North Luzon is a foreign investment hub with the presence of foreign investment on mining, fishing and IT product manufacturing and also home to international schools, he said.