Singson to suspend bidding of Sabangan-Sagada road

HAPPY WEEKEND

Gina Dizon   

SAGADA, Mountain Province -- Either Department of Public Works and Highways-Cordillera Administrative Region director Edilberto Carabaccan is not listening to petitions forwarded by Sangguniang Bayan of Sagada and listening to somebody else or Carabaccan is only listening to himself.

Word reaching the SB of Sagada that the DPWH-CAR has opened bidding for the questioned  P100 million Sabangan-Sagada road project has prompted the  SB to request DPWH Sec. Rogelio Singson to suspend  bidding of the said road  project pending unresolved issues of said controversial road project.

Earlier  resolutions of  Sagada’s  SB protested  DPWH-CAR’s identification of a Sabangan-Sagada road  via Madepdeppas  route which is not the  SB’s proposed road in their earlier resolution to  DPWH  Singson. The SB’s 2011 resolution requested Singson to extend the length of the Dantay-Sagada national road to Sagada-Suyo-Balili road.

The SB in their earlier resolution asked Carabaccan to set aside the program of work for the Madepdeppas route and prepare a program of work for the Balili route. Apparently, this request fell on deaf ears with word reaching the SB that the P100 million road projects is already up for bidding.    

This, while a composite  team from the  DPWH, Dept. of Tourism and National Economic and Development Authority  assisted by  personnel from the Mountain Province LGUs engineering and  tourism  units accompanied the team validate said road project  last Nov. 21.

Said road project is funded by the DOTs prime tourist destination infrastructure roads. DOT regional director Purificacion Molintas inspected and endorsed said Sabangan-Sagada road as per criteria of the tourism road infrastructure project prioritization criteria (TRIPPC) set by the DOT-DPWH convergence program, which eventually was included in the General Appropriations Act for 2013 with a P100 million budget.

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This, as Gov. Leonard Mayaen said the P228 million loan from the Land Bank of the Philippines mostly allotted for road construction should begin January 2013 after bidding processes.

Mayaen, in an interview said that P168 million of the P228 million loan has already been approved by Land Bank pending requirements from specific road projects to be submitted for the approval of the remaining amount of the loan.

The LGU of  Mountain Province entered into a loan agreement with Land Bank  September 2011 through a memorandum of agreement endorsed by the  SangguniangPanlalawigan allowing Provincial Governor Leonard Mayaen to enter into a loan agreement with the Land-Bank in the amount of  P228 million.  

Bulk of the 228 million peso loan was meant for upgrading of the province’s road systems linking adjacent provinces and within municipality routes.

Mayaen said P20 million from the P228 million loans is allotted per municipality for the improvement of respective provincial roads.  Mountain Province has an estimated 500 kilometers of provincial roads with the same span of national road networks found in Barlig, Sagada, Sabangan, Bontoc, and Bauko. 

Concreting and rehabilitation of slope protection walls and drainage systems in the Province’s road networks are meant for construction to be done in provincial roads.

Mountain Province’s  erosion-prone  slopes and  rugged road systems hampering  smooth transportation and  secured travel demands  good roads  to facilitate commerce and trade  and ensure safe trips for  motorists and  passengers.  

Mountain Province links to bustling market outlets  in Santiago, Isabela on the eastern front,Ilocos Sur in the western side of the province and towards  Benguet and Baguio City  southward. 

Release of the loaned amount is done per project accomplishment with validation from the Provincial Engineering Office (PEO) and engineers of the Land Bank, Mayaen said.

The rest of the loan amount is projected to be used for the improvement of the provincial gymnasium, Capitol building and the Bontoc General Hospital.