Kalinga set to start P298-M WB projs

By Larry T. Lopez 

TABUK CITY, Kalinga– It’s all systems go for two World Bank funded farm-to-market road (FMR) projects in the province under the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP).

Provincial Agriculturist Domingo Bakilan said works for the 13-km Banneng-Gombowoy FMR in Tanudan costing P118 million while the 15.8-km  Bulanao-Amlao FMR in Tabuk City costing P180 million is on. 

Construction work of the two projects with total cost of P298 million shall proceed within seven days after the pre-construction conference, Bakilan said.

The technical team from the Project Support Office of PRDP  met with contractors and stakeholders of the projects right at the project sites for the briefing on the environment and social components of the projects, he added.

These infrastructure projects support the coffee industry of the province as it will provide access to Kalinga’s top coffee producing areas in the municipalities of Tanudan and Upper Tabuk.

Bakilan disclosed that preparation for the projects took almost a year before the Letter of No Objection No. 2 was  issued that finally gave the green signal for these to start  this year.

Based on the project calendar, Banneng-Gombowoy FMR has at least 400 days to be completed while Bulanao-Amlao FMR has at least 500 days.

Under the PRDP, recipient local government unit and the national government both share ten percent equity of the project cost. On top of its counterpart, the province also shouldered the P7-M bridge project of the Bulanao-Amlao FMR project. 

Since the projects are funded by the World Bank, these are not covered by the election ban, Bakilan said.