Mt. Province roads to be made‘gender responsive’

By Pamela F. Dungala

BONTOC, Mountain Province – National roads in this province, aside from being beautified and enhanced for safety, will be made “gender responsive.”

Cecil Lucio, regional focal person of the Department of Public Works and Highways-Cordillera Administrative Region on gender and development, bared this after evaluating roads in the province.

Lucio said gender-responsive highways have clear safety signs have and roadside public toilets.

Roads, she added, should have visible informative, directional and warning signs which also include reflectorized stickers and paints on guard rails and concrete pavements to give motorists early reaction time.

Assessed roads were Mountain Province-Kalinga, Mountain Province-Ifugao (Bontoc-Mount Polis section), Mountain Province-Ilocos Sur and Bontoc-Baguio.

In her assessment, Lucio said while these roads have been installed with signs and safety devices, such road signs and devices need improvement or enhancement for clearer visibility.

“Markings on concrete pavements should be repainted, additional directional signs should be mounted particularly on blind curves and areas experiencing zero-visibility due to fogs,” she added. “Obstructions like vegetation should be cleared to make road signs including drainage markers and kilometer posts more visible.”

Lucio said she was pleased with the completed GAD project of the district engineering office in Mount Polis which included rehabilitation of the public toilet.

This is the kick-off project of the district when the GAD program of the department was activated last year.

In response to the assessment, Doris Palangchao, GAD provincial Highways chief, said the district will  comply with Lucio’s  recommendations and to maintain the Mt. Polis GAD project.

Meanwhile, OIC-District Engineer John Marquez and his assistant, Engineer Charles Sokoken, are supportive of activities of the district’s GAD unit and were reportedly looking forward to the road assessment along Talubin-Barlig-Natonin-Paracelis-Calaccad Road this September.