New road connects Mountain Province, Benguet, Ilocos Sur

By Elvy T. Estacio

BESAO, Mountain Province – A road was recently constructed here that connects Mountain Province, Benguet and Ilocos Sur.
    Farmers and residents here are now assured of better access with the completion of the 8-km farm-to-market road inaugurated July 29.
    “I cannot express my gratitude enough for the completion of this project. If I am not mistaken, 90 percent of the residents’ basic needs pass through this road and improving it also means a 90-percent contribution to the improvement of their lives,” said  Liga ng barangay president Corsio Ganima during the turnover ceremony.
    He expressed gratitude to people who contributed to the improvement and completion of the project.
    The FMR, worth P98.54 million, was the first segment of the improvement of Besao-Nacawang and Tadian-Mabalite FMR subproject implemented under the Dept. of Agriculture-Philippine Rural Development Project and provincial local government of Mountain Province.
    It is now serving around 18,357 individuals from barangays of Besao and Tadian including the municipality of Quirino, Ilocos Sur.

During the program, Governor Bonifacio C. Lacwasan, Jr. thanked the DA for projects implemented in Mountain Province including PRDP infrastructure and enterprise subprojects.

“We have allotted P8 million for the maintenance/improvement of this road and we assure you that we will do our part in maintaining this road so that it will always be safe, passable and make its service areas accessible,” he said.

In his message, DA-CAR regional executive director Cameron P. Odsey said the project originally covered the whole stretch of Besao to Mabalite, Tadian, but was separated into two segments due to constraints. 

“It didn’t go as planned, but at least this segment is now complete and construction work for the second segment started,” he said.

Odsey added that the road was a very strategic artery that connects Mountain Province to Benguet and Ilocos Sur.

He said maintaining the road was a shared responsibility especially from its primary users.

DA-PRDP North Luzon deputy project director Elma S. Mananes said improvement of the Tadian-Mabalite road would be be completed next year.