MORE NEWS, BENGUET

GMA urged: Release P40 million for 2 Benguet roads

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was urged to order the release of P40 million out of the P60 million which she had earlier committed for the rehabilitation of two national secondary roads in this vegetable-producing province. The appeal was made by the provincial government after concerned agencies revealed the funds are already available but awaiting the go-signal to release these.

During the Lenten break of the First Family in Baguio, the President reportedly made the commitment to release the said amount for the rehabilitation of the Bokod-Kabayan-Buguias and the Acop-Kapangan-Kibungan-Bakun secondary national arterial roads in the province. The amount will be reportedly shared by the Department of Agrarian Reform and the Department of Agriculture. Initially, the Department of Public Works and Highways, which was one of the agencies that was tasked to share the R60-million rehabilitation fund, already released its counterpart and is now being used to rehabilitate critical portions of the Acop-Kapangan-Kibungan-Bakun national road, particularly at the Tublay and Kapangan sections that were previously identified as critical areas.

While the amount will not be sufficient to rehabilitate both stretches of national roads, local officials pointed out that it could go a long way in addressing critical portions of the roads to make travel convenient to the motoring public. They cited that both roads play a major role in the development of northern Benguet and that the major beneficiary is the lucrative vegetable industry which uses both roads as alternate routes in ensuring a continuous supply of fresh vegetables in the local markets. --