Task force removes road Kalinga road encroacher

By Peter A. Balocnit

TABUK CITY, Kalinga- - The provincial road-right-of way (RROW) task force has convinced many informal settlers and other encroachers to voluntarily remove their structures on RROWs particularly along the Bulanao section of the national highway in this city.

Natividad Sugguiyao, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples provincial head and task force member,  told heads of local offices and national agencies that the group  dialogued with informal settlers where they were able to get the support of many  to  cooperate with government by removing voluntarily  their  structures along RROWs, and  to stop opposing or causing delay to ongoing widening and concreting of national, provincial, and roads under the jurisdiction of this city.

She said a lot of illegal occupants also promised not to anymore oppose cutting of trees along RROWs considering the impact of road improvement to the economic well-being of the beneficiaries even as they also committed to help replace cut trees through planting of seedlings.

Sugguiao admitted that the  task force  had difficulty clearing RROWs of stubborn encroachers and that some individuals opposing the cutting of trees were professionals who use the law as their leverage.

To address the  perennial problem on  RROWs, the  task force recommended agencies to strictly “keep roads beyond the commerce of man”; not to allow anymore entities to use RROWs whether it be for government purposes even on a temporary basis; for DPWH to assist occupants remove their structures; and request  the Kalinga-Apayao Electric Cooperative not to connect  electric lines  in structures  residents along RROWs.

RROW claims had been one of the causes of delay of projects particularly in the upper Kalinga region where contractors have to shell out portion of the project cost to settle RROW claims by unscrupulous encroachers which on the process affects the quality standard of projects.