P-noy urged: Allot P20 M to improve Kalinga road

By Gina Dizon

PASIL, KALINGA – President Aquino was urged to allot at least P20 million to beef up funds to improve the dilapidated 10 km road to Upper Pasil here at Barangay Amdalao where the municipal hall is located.         

           

An estimate of P100 million would be enough to improve the road’s current rugged conditions to hasten access, commerce and tourism in the municipality, local officials said. 

Pasil mayor  James Edduba said aside from this, P38  million from  the Rural  Infrastructure  Sector Project  (RISP)  would be used for the road’s repair before the end of the year by the  Department of  Agrarian Reform  and the  Local Government Unit. 

The project involves concreting and widening of a 2 km farm to market  road along the Kagaluan  section. 

Kagaluan is the first barangay to be reached in Lower Pasil from the  Tomyangan national highway  leading to the province’s capital town of  Tabuk. 

The local government’s  counterpart was earlier implemented by the Engineering Brigade of the Philippine Army’s  21^st  Infantry Brigade with a budget of P5 million for a 2 km road project  first opened along  the Balenciagao Norte  road and an additional  P5 million  farm to market road  in  Dalupa implemented in  2010.

Also, Kalinga Gov. Jocel  Baac in his  speech during the  recently held  Salip Festival  of  Pasil  May  2  this year  also announced  that he allocated  P1 million  from the  20 p;ercent development  funds  of  the  province for the rehabilitation of the  Guinaang-Amdalao  road.

Pasil is  a landlocked  mountainous municipality  that grows quality native heirloom rice, coffee and gayunan oranges aside from  organic squash and  sweet potatoes.

Scenic spots including cool Tumuyok Falls and  Facharao  Lake/Falls  are found in the northern thickly foliaged  part of this province. 

Resolutions  passed by the  Sangguniang Bayan here  to  offices of  President  Benigno Aquino Jr, and Sen. Manuel Villar authored by  Councilor  Samuel Tayaan asked for  financial  assistance to  improve  the municipality’s  beleaguered road systems.

The legislative  body  in their April 23  resolution  requested Aquino  to allocate  P20 million  from his presidential social fund  for  the proposed the opening  and construction of  Ableg- Molayong- Amdalao  farm to  market road.     

“The construction of said road  would cut travel time by  an hour,”  Pasil mayor  James Edduba said.

It is a popular clamor among the people  of  Pasil  that  the Molayong   section  be opened  into an all-weather transport access  connecting the national road  at Barangay Ableg  to the municipal road  at Amdalao via the  Dalimono road section. 

Said road  serves as  alternative route to   the  upper  barangays of Colayo and  Balatoc reached by  vehicular transport four to five hours from the capital town of  Tabuk.

The P2 million fund promise of Rep. Manuel Agyao during the town’s Salip festival last year from his priority development assistance funds   for  road  development was meant to continue the  Ableg road  opening. 

But to date, the funds haven’t been released.

The proposed 2 km alternative route  is projected to  cost   P40 million including the construction of a  bridge along the Molayong River. 

DAR’s RISP program is ready to implement  a P14 million  bridge  should the  road  reach above the  Molayong  River.

The Ableg road was earlier opened last year by  a one million fund from Sen.  Ramon Revilla.

An earlier  resolution  February this year also requested  Sen. Ralph Recto  for  P5 million for  said  opening of  Ableb-Molayong- Dalimono  farm to market  road.