TABUK CITY, Kalinga – The Department of Public Works and Highways–Lower Kalinga District Engineering Office (DPWH-LKDEO) reported that there were no significant damages to infrastructure inflicted by the Tropical Storms Maymay and Neneng over the past two weeks.
DPWH-LKDEO officer-in-charge Engr. Ruby Uyam disclosed that at the height of Tropical Storm Maymay, there was a landslide along the Balbalan-Pinukpuk road, particularly in the Taga area, but this was immediately punched through the same day and eventually cleared for the smooth flow of vehicular traffic.
Further, during Tropical Storm Neneng, there were no reported damages to infrastructure despite the strong winds and heavy rains brought by the weather disturbance.
Uyam pointed out that it has been a protocol of the agency to ensure the readiness of a sufficient number of units of road-clearing heavy equipment to ensure the smooth flow of traffic during the onslaught of natural calamities and that lower Kalinga is lucky there were no significant damages on the roads within its area of jurisdiction.
The DPWH-LKDEO official claimed that the agency is always ready to respond to any untoward incident that may transpire along national roads within its areas of jurisdiction to ensure all roads leading to and out of the province will be always open to vehicular traffic at all times of the year.
According to her, the overall support of concerned government agencies, local governments and the private sector in ensuring that all roads leading to and from the province has been enormous that is why the agency has no problem in dealing with the situation.
Uyam expressed her gratitude to the local officials and government agency officers as well as concerned stakeholders for their utmost support to the agency during calamity and emergency situations because of their support in ensuring the roads to and from the province are open for the smooth transport of people and goods to the different parts of Kalinga.
Kalinga, Apayao, some parts of Abra, Mountain Province and Ifugao were among the areas in Northern Luzon where tropical cyclone signals were hoisted by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) when Tropical Storms Maymay and Neneng prevailed over the said areas over the past 2 weeks.
Uyam stipulated that the assets of the agency and its manpower are always ready to respond during calamity and emergency situations so that any untoward incident that may transpire leading to the closure of roads can be immediately addressed for the benefit of the uninterrupted flow of traffic in the affected areas.
DPWH-LKDEO has jurisdiction on the roads and bridges in Tabuk City and the towns of Rizal, Pinukpuk and Tanudan while the DPWH Upper Kalinga District Engineering Office has jurisdiction over the roads and bridges in the towns of Pasil, Lubuagan, Balbalan and Tinglayan.
