BONTOC, Mountain Province – The provincial government is willing to augment the existing funds of the Department of Public Works and Highways–First Mountain Province District Engineering Office (DPWH-FMPDEO) to ensure the temporary opening of the Busa section of the Baguio-Bontoc road to lessen the travel time of motorists going in and out of the province.
Gov. Bonifacio Lacwasan, Jr. said that the DPWH-FMPDEO has available funds that could be used to temporarily open the road and if programmed funds will not be sufficient, then the provincial government will augment just to ensure motor vehicles can traverse the washed-out portion of the road while awaiting for the release of the requested funds to completely rehabilitate the damaged rod section.
“We are awaiting for the DPWH-FMPDEO to work on their proposal for the temporary opening of the Busa section of the Halsema highway and for the remaining balance to ensure the opening of the road, the provincial government is willing to allocate the required funds to guarantee the safety of the motorists who will be using the rod to travel to and from the province,” Lacwasan stressed.
The Busa section of the Halsema highway in Sabangan was washed out at the height of Supertyphoon Ompong last year.
Since then, motorists have to take the Mabaay-Abatan-Nacagang provincial road which is over an hour of travel more than when traveling time via Busa.
Lacwasan claimed the sources of the funds for the rehabilitation of the Busa section of the Halsema road is from the DPWH regular infrastructure funds and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), whichever comes first to fully open that road section to motorists.
According to him, it is important for the provincial government and the concerned government agencies to closely work together so that the programmed works to temporarily open the road will be realized prior to pursuing the rehabilitation of the damaged section of the main highway leading to the central Cordillera.
The governor appealed to people going in and out of the province to bear with the inconveniences of having to use the Mabaay-Abatan-Nacagang provincial road because everything is being done to implement a stop-gap measure while awaiting for the full rehabilitation of to restore the washed out portion of the road.
He reported the augmentation funds from the provincial government will come from available sources of the provincial government previously earmarked for counterparts for special projects, thus, the province is only awaiting for the next move of the DPWH-FMPDEO.
By HENT
