2 northern Luzon roads up for rehab: DPWH

BAGUIO CITY – The national government will rehabilitate two major road networks in Northern Luzon even beyond the term of the Arroyo administration to complete the linkage among the vital roadlines that will enhance the North Luzon Agri-business Quadrangle (NLAQ) Super Region to spur economic development in far communities.

This was bared by Public Works Secretary Romeo Mom during a recent briefing on the status of NLAQ projects, citing the feasibility studies for the two major road networks have already been completed and are now being evaluated before it will be officially submitted to the National Economic Development Authority – Investment Coordinating Committee.

Earlier, the Regional Development Council in the Cordillera officially endorsed the rehabilitation of the over 100-kilometer Ilocos Norte-Abra-Kalinga road and the nearly 200-km Cagayan-Apayao-Ilocos Norte road in order to complete the linkage among the provinces in the Cagayan Valley and the Ilocos and Cordillera regions.

According to Momo, the funding for the projects will be taken from the overseas development assistance (ODA) partners of the Philippine government, particularly the Japan International Cooperating Agency (JICA) and the World Bank (WB), provided the NEDA board, which is chaired by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, will pass upon the feasibility study of the two major road projects.

However, DPWH official declined to divulge the funding requirement for both projects, saying that there is still a need for the agency to scrutinize the results of the feasibility studies before the same will be submitted to the NEDA board for approval.

He said complete rehabilitation of the two major road lines will result to increased economic activities in remote communities of Abra, Kalinga, Apayao, Ilocos Norte and Cagayan.

Momo explained there is also a possibility that the funds for the rehabilitation and upgrading of the two major road networks will be taken from local sources although the same might be done in a staggered basis just like what happened to the two-phased rehabilitation of the Halsema highway and the Bontoc-Tabuk-Tuguegarao road.

Apayao, Kalinga and Abra officials have been constantly lobbying for the inclusion of the two major roadlines in the national government’s priority so that it will help in improving the lives of poor people living in remote places traversed by the said roads since the said provinces are included in the country’s top ten poorest and food poor provinces in the country.

Momo cited priority must be given to the rehabilitation and upgrading of major road lines linking urban centers and rural areas in the countryside since it will be beneficial to the country’s agricultural and economic development in the future.