TABUK CITY, Kalinga – The Lower Kalinga District |Engineering Office (LKDEO) announced the feasibility study of the 18-kilometer portion of the Chico river being eyed as a potential business and tourism haven is nearing completion for the crafting of the prescribed master development plan for the purpose.
Engr. Ireneo S. Gallato, Lower Kalinga district engineer, said technical personnel from the DPWH central office will again be visiting the city to validate the contents of the data and studies which their office provided them previously prior to the finalization of the desired master development plan of a portion of the river system.
“We want to formulate the required master development plan for the lower Chico river so that all future projects will be aligned with the plan to achieve its purpose of becoming a future business and tourism development zone in the future,” Gallato stressed.
Earlier, public works Secretary Mark Villar proposed the formulation of a master development plan for the lower Chico river to guide policy-makers and decision-makers to align the implementation of future projects with the plan to achieve the overall purpose of converting the area into a business center and tourism hub.
Proposed to be included in the lower Chico river master development plan are an 18-kilometer flood control project with a width of 300 meters covering six barangays in the city and five barangays in nearby Pinukpuk town, an airport or airstrip, whichever will be feasible, and a business and tourism center on the other side of the river system to serve as one of the major economic drivers of the city in the future.
Rep. Allen Jesse C. Mangaoang expressed his full support to the formulation of a short, medium and long-term master development plan for the designated portion of the Chico river so that local officials of the concerned local governments will be able to be empowered to contribute their efforts in introducing development interventions that will spur economic growth in the province.
Mangaoang added he will help the DPWH Lower Kalinga District follow-up the finalization of the feasibility study and the formulation of the required master development plan of the lower Chico river so that existing projects that were identified by the agency will be aligned with the plan to prevent waste of time, effort, and resources.
Initially, the DPWH earmarked some P100 million for the implementation of a flood control project along the lower Chico river system while the feasibility study and master development plan of the said body of water are being finalized by the agency.
Gallato expressed confidence that the desired master plan for the lower Chico river will be available within the next several months so that the agency will be able to identify the kind of long-term projects that can be implemented within the river system to achieve its development and be instrumental in contributing to the economic growth of the city, being the lone component city in the region.
By HENT
