MORE NEWS, KALINGA

Major road projects on to hasten Cordi development

BY MIKE GUIMBATAN JR.

TABUK CITY, Kalinga — A portion of one of two road network commitments of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has been completed, local public works officials said.

According to the Department of Public Works and Highways – Kalinga District
Engineering Office’s report, the concreting of the Bontoc-Lubuagan-Tabuk road as committed by PGMA is their priority program.

The Balani section of the Tabuk-Bontoc road network costing P10 million, was also completed while two other sections totaling P29 million are ongoing.

The other SONA commitment of the President is the Baguio-Banaue via Bontoc road also under construction.

Engineer Ruby Uyam of the Construction and Maintenance Section of KDEO said that as of October this year, the Gonogon section of the Tabuk-Lubuagan stretch amounting to P14 million is 78 percent accomplished.

She said the slow progress of work is due to heavy landslides occurring at the projects site caused by typhoons Hannah and Ineng.

She said another sub-project, the P15 million Manangol-Lubuagan-Walis road rehabilitation located at Lubuagan that registered a 75 percent accomplishment was suspended due to typhoons and occasional rains causing the site to be unworkable.

"Work on these remaining projects could be further delayed after the onslaught of typhoon Kabayan that hit heavily the province," Uyam said.

However, she said their office urged their contractors to fast track construction until December.

Fifteen infrastructure projects funded by DPWH regular funds this CY 2007 amounting to a total of P188.7M including six SONA identified projects were completed.

These are the concreting of the New Tanglag, Tabuk section along the Calanan Junction-Pinukpuk road amounting to P5 million; concreting of a section on the Calanan-Enrile road along the Mt. Province-Kalinga-Cagayan road costing P5 million; improvement of the P10 million Calanan-Tuliao road; a P10M improvement of another section of the Tabuk-Bontoc road and rehabilitation of the Camalog-Kapanikian road costing P10 million.

Uyam said nine others with a total project cost of P91.7 million are ongoing while five with funding amounting to P45M have not yet started. Accomplishment of the ongoing projects ranged from 50 to 90 percent as of October. Preconstruction activities of the remaining five are underway, she said.

Once complete, the Tabuk-Bontoc road is projected to spur trade and tourism in both areas.