Benguet declared in state of calamity; funds needed

By Dexter A. See

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — Due to “low performance” of national government agencies and local governments in implementation of calamity projects, the provincial board here approved a resolution declaring Benguet in a state of calamity to allow utilization of calamity funds for restoration of many provincial roads damaged by typhoons “Ondoy” and “Pepeng” last year.

The local legislative body authorized Benguet Gov. Nestor B. Fongwan to utilize at least 30 percent of the calamity funds of the province this year to repair damaged roads that were not given appropriate attention by concerned national government agencies in its multi-billion-peso disaster rehabilitation project.

Based on the evaluation of the provincial engineering office, many provincial roads have numerous critical areas that need to be restored before heavy rains and typhoons will worsen the damages which could result in the closure of the roads leading to the farms and significantly affect the supply of vegetables.

Fongwan said normal living has not been restored in dozens of villages because of the presence of road cuts and eroded mountain slopes that pose a serious threat to the safety of the motoring public, especially during heavy downpours.

A good number of villages in the towns of Atok, Bakun, Bokod, Buguias, Itogon, Kapangan, Kibungan, Kabayan, Mankayan, La Trinidad, Sablan, Tuba, and Tublay have reportedly isolated last year for over a month after the onslaught of typhoons “Ondoy” and “Pepeng.”

Fongwan’s report cited most of the critical sections in all provincial roads still pose danger to the community and that the punch through in the roads were the handy works of the people living in the affected villages, thus, the occurrence of future strong rains could lead to their isolation from urban centers which threatens their regular supply of food and fuel.

Fongwan stressed that the provincial government has to catch up with the onset of the typhoon season so that lesser inconveniences will be encountered by the people once the provincial