MANKAYAN, Benguet – Benguet Caretaker Congressman and Anti-Crime and Terrorism through Community Involvement and Support (ACT-CIS) Party-list Rep. Eric Yap assured the people and officialdom of the province that there will be more road penning projects that will be implemented by the public works department to improve inter-barangay, inter-municipality, inter-provincial and inter-regional access that will help spur economic activities in the countryside.
Speaking during the town’s 108th founding anniversary program held at the newly improved stage of the Mankayan National High School, Yap disclosed that for next year, he will work hard to source out the funding requirements for the proposed road opening of the Cabiten-Camanpagey-Las-igan Road that will connect with Bao-angan in Cervantes, Ilocos Sur so that residents will be able to easily transport their agricultural produce to the different markets.
Moreover, with the existence of appropriate road networks leading to rural communities, the lawmaker claimed that residents will be encouraged to cultivate idle lands for the production of high value crops that will serve as part of their sources of livelihood to help in uplifting the living condition of their families.
Earlier, he was able to source out from the public works department a total of P400 million to fund the ongoing road opening of roads leading to Tacadang, Kibungan and Kayapa, Bakun with project estimates amounting to P200 million each.
Congressman Yap asserted that roads play a crucial role in spurring development in the countryside because the same serve as mechanisms that spur economic activities of the people.
According to him, he was able to see the bright prospects for Benguet to become one of the most developed provinces in the country once most of its road networks will be in place that is why efforts are being done by concerned government agencies to provide sufficient funds to complete the opening of roads leading to rural areas with potentials of becoming well developed areas in the future.
He pointed out that he does not care about the criticisms against him on his efforts to make the appropriate representations with concerned government agencies to provide more funding support to various programs, projects and activities of the government in the province for as long as people benefit from the services being cascaded to the grassroots level unlike what had been happening before that Benguet had been receiving meager amounts for similar services.
Congressman Yap underscored that the funds being provided by the concerned government agencies directly go to the identified beneficiaries pursuant to established guidelines and the implementation of development projects contrary to what is being hurled against him by his critics and that the same will surely continue for the people, especially those from far flung communities, will be able to feel that the government values their welfare.
He added that there are also many project implementers who are now being given the opportunity to prosecute projects that are within their capacity unlike what had been happening in the past that the implementation of the same had been confined to few influential individuals and sectors. By HENT
