Kennon rehab to boost tourism
>> Tuesday, December 27, 2011
By Dexter See
BAGUIO CITY – The planned rehabilitation of Kennon Road, the shortest route from the lowlands to this mountain resort city and vice versa, through the Aquino administration’s public private partnership (PPP) will greatly help attract more tourist and investors who will contribute to better economic growth not only for the Summer Capital but also for the Cordillera, Rep. Bernardo M. Vergara, vice chairman of the House Committee on public works, said here last week.
“We had already made representations with the management of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority through its chairman former Bataan Rep. Felicisimo Payumo in order for the State-run corporation to upgrade and rehabilitate the scenic and historic road,” Vergara stressed, adding the BCDA will undertake the feasibility study on the road to ascertain the kind of development to be introduced in order to make it an “all-weather road.”
Kennon Road is one of the three major access roads that leads up to Baguio City from Manila and the provinces in the central and western parts of Luzon. It connects the city with the town of Rosario, La Union.
The other two are Marcos Highway from Agoo, La Union. There are beautiful and scenic sites along Kennon Road such as the Bridal Veil Falls, Bued River gorge, Twin Peaks, Colorado Falls, a pedestrian suspension bridge, the sculptured limestone lion's head, and the spectacular view from the observation deck at the upper end of Kennon Road.
According to Vergara, the BCDA will be using the similar scheme it used to complete the 94-kilometer Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) in order to upgrade Kennon road so that the 45-minute travel will be further reduced to at least 30 minutes which will serve as an added attraction not only for tourists but also for future investors.
Kennon Road was ordered built by American governor general William Cameron Forbes in 1901. Although originally called Benguet Road, it was named after U.S. Army Colonel Lyman N. Kennon who was its final builder. With the labor of Igorots and some foreign workers, the road was completed in 1903 and has since become a major route to Baguio City.
The inter-connection of an upgraded Kennon road and the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX) will definitely be a big boost to our robust tourism industry and our desire to attract more investors to infuse their capital to the city’s economy. We will do our best to provide the necessary assistance to BCDA in order to complete the rehabilitation of Kennon road,” Vergara added.
The 34-km road is characterized by steep and winding curves that serve as a natural attraction for motorists and visitors who want to drive through it and hurdle the challenge of driving along the mountainous road.
Vergara supports the planned declaration of Kennon road as a national heritage to help preserve it as part of the country’s rich historical and cultural heritage that was placed in the global village due to its scenery and winding curves en route to the city proper.
Because of the natural wear and tear aggravated by earthquakes and typhoons over the past 100 years, Vergara said the government continues to spend millions of pesos in order to maintain it as passage for light vehicles purposely to enhance the growth of the local tourism industry.
“We had already made representations with the management of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority through its chairman former Bataan Rep. Felicisimo Payumo in order for the State-run corporation to upgrade and rehabilitate the scenic and historic road,” Vergara stressed, adding the BCDA will undertake the feasibility study on the road to ascertain the kind of development to be introduced in order to make it an “all-weather road.”
Kennon Road is one of the three major access roads that leads up to Baguio City from Manila and the provinces in the central and western parts of Luzon. It connects the city with the town of Rosario, La Union.
The other two are Marcos Highway from Agoo, La Union. There are beautiful and scenic sites along Kennon Road such as the Bridal Veil Falls, Bued River gorge, Twin Peaks, Colorado Falls, a pedestrian suspension bridge, the sculptured limestone lion's head, and the spectacular view from the observation deck at the upper end of Kennon Road.
According to Vergara, the BCDA will be using the similar scheme it used to complete the 94-kilometer Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) in order to upgrade Kennon road so that the 45-minute travel will be further reduced to at least 30 minutes which will serve as an added attraction not only for tourists but also for future investors.
Kennon Road was ordered built by American governor general William Cameron Forbes in 1901. Although originally called Benguet Road, it was named after U.S. Army Colonel Lyman N. Kennon who was its final builder. With the labor of Igorots and some foreign workers, the road was completed in 1903 and has since become a major route to Baguio City.
The inter-connection of an upgraded Kennon road and the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX) will definitely be a big boost to our robust tourism industry and our desire to attract more investors to infuse their capital to the city’s economy. We will do our best to provide the necessary assistance to BCDA in order to complete the rehabilitation of Kennon road,” Vergara added.
The 34-km road is characterized by steep and winding curves that serve as a natural attraction for motorists and visitors who want to drive through it and hurdle the challenge of driving along the mountainous road.
Vergara supports the planned declaration of Kennon road as a national heritage to help preserve it as part of the country’s rich historical and cultural heritage that was placed in the global village due to its scenery and winding curves en route to the city proper.
Because of the natural wear and tear aggravated by earthquakes and typhoons over the past 100 years, Vergara said the government continues to spend millions of pesos in order to maintain it as passage for light vehicles purposely to enhance the growth of the local tourism industry.
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