Abra folks rebuild after Lawin wrath

By Maria Teresa B. Benas

DAGUIOMAN, Abra -- Despite difficulty transporting people and commodities to the remotest municipality in eastern Abra due to collapse of Lamao Bridge in Bucloc municipality and a big road cut in adjacent  barangay, people of Daguioman said they were determined to pursue infrastructure projects.

Mayor Salma Q. Padilla said they have exhausted remedies to ease the problem of transportation by clearing the vast landslides in Barangay Linguey.

However, heavy equipment cannot cross the Bucloc River in Lamao.

           The usual two-hour smooth travel from Bangued to Poblacion Tui in Daguioman  is now  a tormenting six-hour trip because passengers have to cross the Bucloc River through the Lamao footbridge where a tricycle would bring them to a connecting jeep at the end of the almost an hour hike over the long road-cut due to landslides in Linguey, Bucloc.

Due to urgent need for implementation of their projects especially the evacuation center, people are left with no choice but carry materials over their shoulders as they cross the swinging footbridge and endure the long hike.

Ongoing projects in Daguioman are Bottom-Up Budgeting funded projects that include the P15million road concreting and slope protection.

The projects   are more than 80 percent complete.

Aside from the BuB project, the local government is also rushing to finish the construction of the multi-purpose building cum evacuation center funded by the LGU’s share in Republic Act 7171 Funds of P8.2 million. 

            Another project that is almost finished is the three-storey building that will serve as police station. This is expected to be inaugurated on last week of November.