Sagada diversion road stirs opposition

WHERE DO THE CHILDREN PLAY....The space near the kinder school and near the tennis court is endangered of being  transformed into concrete pavement called  diversion road from the main road to borders of the Mission Compound adjacent private lots and residences at sitios Deccan and  Sayoksok joining at the Daoangan road, Sagada.

By Gina Dizon

SAGADA, MOUNTAIN PROVINCE – Portions of the Mission compound located along borders near residential houses within the poblacion here proposed as diversion road ignited opposing views  from local and overseas folks from this town with calls for public consultation.

This  700 meter diversion road  requested for funding coursed through  the office of  congressman  Maximo  Dalog endorsed by the Standing Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Philippines (EDNP) forwarded arguments of resolving the  traffic congestion of  Sagada especially during times of  heavy influx of tourists.

In a phone interview, Dalog said a Dantay-Sagada Diversion Road to be constructed  along  borders of  Deccan Poblacion to Daoangan was forwarded  for  endorsement  to the Regional  Development  Council  for  inclusion in the 2016 budget following proposals from church leaders. 

A nearly 1 kilometer road upgrading from Ambasing to Sumaguing is included in the herein proposed  Dantay-Sagada Diversion Road.    

The proposed diversion road starts from the main road near the terminal to borders near residential houses and private properties in sitio Deccan following the creek towards sitio Sayoksok on to the boundaries and join with the Daoangan road, a section of the 13 kilometer Dantay-Sagada road.  

‘The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) shall do the necessary survey and estimate of the required cost upon approval of the proposal’, Mountain Province –DPWH District Engr Wilbur Likigan said.

‘There is no estimated cost of the project yet’, Likigan added.

Said diversion road covered  the same heavily opposed new road opening  as noted in a previous congregational assembly, public consultation in 2014 and a petition signed by  some 200 plus signatories who called on the supposedly implementing unit  of the local government unit of Sagada and the source of P1.9 M fund, the Cordillera Highland Agricultural Resource Management Project  (CHARMP) to realign the allloted amount instead to building parking spaces.   

A major opposition was  the destruction of the greeneries including cutting of trees as proposed road cuts across pine laden slopes while posing vulnerability to pollution and noise to the tranquil Mission compound, including inviting  business intents near roadsides.

Sentiments two years ago remained during a recent meeting of the Church of St Mary the Virgin Vestry with Bishop Brent Alawas  with the eventual conduct of a workshop to plot development plans for the Mission Compound including a road, CSMV Senior Warden Dave Gulian said.

Gulian who was keen on the need for consultation, said results of the workshop shall determine the fate of what the Mission Compound shall look like and what areas to improve.

Alawas  in an earlier  interview  when asked on his position on the same  proposed diversion road proposed in 2014 said,  ‘what  the congregation says’  echoing the relatively same statement that results of the workshop shall be considered.  

A strong suggestion posed instead is the improvement  of the existing rugged dirt road from the church gate near the main road leading to St Mary’s School and forking down towards the rugged road leading to the softball ground, Gulian added.

The Mission Compound is a 32 hectare lot found within Sagada Poblacion donated by Sagada’s forebears and registered under the Episcopal Church in the Philippines- EDNP as the owner of the property.

A  Permit to Enter was issued by EDNP Diocesan Bishop Brent Alawas and co signed by Poblacion Patay barangay Chairman Dennis Lopez  and the clergy chairman of the Standing Committee.

Meantime, the Standing Committee has been criticized by some residents of Sagada asking why said Committee endorsed said project without consulting the Sagada congregation. Majority of the members of the Standing Committee come from places outside of Sagada.

Sagada resident Nellie Pit-og, member of the Standing Committee said she signed said road proposal with the assumption that the proposed project referred to the improvement of the existing rugged road from the Coop store near the main road to St Mary’s School. No technical plan was shown to the Standing Committee.  A main argument presented to the Committee on the proposed road was the decongestion of traffic on the main road. 

Meantime in Facebook, strong opposition was gathered from the iSagada both from town-based residents and those from overseas who called for consultation and No to Diversion Road.

Manila-based Episcopalian Raymond Alipit said, ’let us remind Bishop Brent that the EDNP church is not his and he had better be with us his flock in having first a consultative meeting of the congregation with his presence.”

US based Hilda Longid Aquino said, “The SMV compound is like Central Park in Manhattan, a quiet, natural safe haven for those who just want to enjoy a relaxing stroll or feel the spiritual synchrony with nature, away from the busy activities of the town.”

Long time Sagada resident  American Steve Rogers married to an iSagada said, “What's saddest, to me, is that the real losers are the children. My older kids, now in college, grew up playing in that court area. For my almost 6 year old Sumedca , and his friends it is like their own backyard. They went to day care and 2 years of kinder there, so it's totally familiar. There's no traffic, there are always adults around to keep half an eye on them, their older siblings and cousins are around... like a home where they can meet and play, on their own but still safe. On any given afternoon that area will be filled with kids, from pre-school to high school. What reason for building a road is compelling enough to sacrifice that?"

The heavily talked about route of the diversion road cuts through the present Kindergarten School built since the 1950s catering to young school children year after year.

“By opening up the mission compound , we also are opening up a can of worms here...there will be other problems on top of issues that can be solved not by a diversion road, but by a sense of discipline, a sense of purpose to preserve, uphold, persevere and respect our sacred heritage lands”, US based nurse Aida Yodong said.

Episcopalian  who traces his roots from Sagada, George Gewan  who resides in Mindanao said, “I speak with the SMS alumni here in Mindanao to express our vehement opposition to the plan to build a road thru the church compound. Such a move would open a Pandora's box, i.e. unwanted noise, pollution, etc. that will break the serene atmosphere conducive for worship and study.”

The Mission compound  established in the early 1900s by  American missionaries compose a distinct heritage site with the presence of  century old buildings- church, hospital, school buildings and lodging  quarters-  in a sprawling 

32 hectare  compound  hosting grounds for public use as ball grounds and the cemetery.

A major argument forwarded by church authorities is the decongestion of traffic although this contention is debunked by sentiments from local residents who claim a systematic management of the traffic in the past Lenten season and the previous two weeks when tourists came in heavy numbers proved that traffic can be managed with cars directed to a main parking site and prevented to park along the narrow streets in town.

A Sagada resident who goes by the name Aman Cap-uy in Facebook said “traffic congestion has been addressed by the implementation of the car-less ordinance. We have seen how effective it is with its strict implementation. During peak seasons, we make use of Tangeb going through the church as a way for us to go across the town free from vehicles and people passing by. Tangeb and the mission compound are the only places in the center of the town where we can get away from the hustle and bustle created by tourism and where people both locals and tourists can enjoy nature and tranquility being a sanctuary without going into the outskirts of this town who proposed the road? Surely not the people.”

Local resident Chiqui Say-awen suggested that the support fund from  Dalog instead be realigned to school buildings.  Say-awen was joined by Australia based Juliet Tumapang Comafay and Melchora Calang-ad Chin who forwarded that support fund be directed into “solving issues in community health clinics, water and sanitation, and not to the building of a road that is not even environmentally safe to all people concerned.”

Drainage is seen as a major threat especially to low lying residential houses at Sayoksok.

Others suggest that support fund instead be used for parking space at the southern end of the church’s property near the Daoangan road.

Other residents of the town are in favor of the proposed diversion road.

Dalog urged the unity of the people to resolve their issues.