P5.2 billion Cordillera road projects 87 percent complete

BONTOC, Mountain Province – The Cordillera office of the Department of Public Works and Highways here revealed the P5.2 billion State of the Nation Address (SONA) projects of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the region are 87 percent complete to boost economic development in the countryside.

Engineer Alexander Castaneda, DPWH assistant regional director, saidthe Mount Data to Bontoc section of the Halsema highway is around 98.96 percent complete with only 370 meters out of the 35 km that remains unpaved while the Bontoc to Banaue section, which is 97 percent completed, has 1.12 km that remains unconcreted.

On the other hand, The Bontoc to Tingayan boundary of the Bontoc-Tabuk-Tuguegrao road is approximately 72.10 percent completed with at least 8 kilometers still unpaved while the Tingayan boundary to Tabuk City, Kalinga, which is 80 percent completed, has still 13 kilometers out of the 68 kilometers that are not yet concreted.

According to engineer Nestor Nicholas, who recently inspected the projects, the main problem of the contractors is the refusal of land owners in the affected portions of the road to allow portions of their properties to be traversed by the road rehabilitation works so that widening and concreting will smoothly push through.

Despite efforts of government agencies and local officials to negotiate with the land claimants, they continue to refuse offers for just compensation for this properties s ell s improved living condition of their fellow residents due to improved roads to their places.

By the end of June, Castaneda is confident that bulk of the projects will be completed so that the project implementors and concerned agencies could concentrate in convincing the people in the controversial areas to allow their properties to b traversed by the roadlines.

In 2006, President Arroyo, through the representation of the Regional Development Council in the Cordillera and duly elected local officials, earmarked P5.2 billion which was staggeredly released over the past three years for the rehabilitation of the remaining two phases of the Halsema highway and the whole stretch of the Bontoc-Tabuk-Tuguegarao road.

Out of the said amount, P1.9 billion was used up for the rehabilitation of phases two and three of the Halsema highway while P3.3 billion was programmed for the rehabilitation of the Bontoc-Tabuk-Tuguegaroa road.

Castaneda said the unpaved sections of the different roadlines are hose with road-right-of-way problems that are now being settled by technical people but the hardheadedness of some to realize the benefits of improved roads seems to prevail over their desire to help in bringing development to their respective places.