Gov’t earmarks P445 M for vital Kalinga roads

By Dexter A. See

TABUK CITY, Kalinga — The national government has earmarked at least P445.1 million in this year’s P1.54 trillion general appropriations law for the rehabilitation and upgrading of 12 major road networks in the province of Kalinga that inter-connects with other major road lines in the neighboring provinces of Ifugao, Mountain Province, Abra, and Cagayan.

The fund was included in the regular infrastructure fund of the Department of Public Works and Highways Kalinga District Engineering Office led by District Engineer Leo Mustard.

The roads which were provided with appropriate funding support for their rehabilitation and upgrading include the Tabuk City-Banaue, Ifugao Road via Tanudan, Kalinga, and Barlig, Mountain Province – P100 million; Kalinga-Abra Road – P80.54 million; Balbalan-Pinukpok Road – P58.4 million; Mountain Province boundary-Calanan-Pinukpok-Abbut Road – P41.4 million; Lubuagan-Batong Buhay-Abra boundary road – P30.8 million; Rizal national road through the Liwan West-Babalag-Macutay section – P9.46 million; Rizal national road through the Romualdez-Santor-Calaocan-San Pascual section – P17 million; Rizal national road through the Babalag Kinama-San Francisco section – P16.8 million; Bulanao-Paracelis Road section 2 – P16.9 million; Bulo national road – P15.8 million, Malalao national road – P16.5 million; Bulanao-Paracelis Road – P21.87 million; and the Tabuk City-Tanudan-Banaue Road – P20 million.

Engineer Enrico Guilas, DPWH Cordillera regional director, cited through the initiative of Rep. Manuel S. Agyao, the province was able to access the huge amount of funds earmarked for the rehabilitation of major road lines which is the first in the history of Kalinga.