TABUK CITY, Kalinga – The government needs at least P5.4 billion to fully develop the potential Chico river economic zonein the next several years that will contribute in spurring economic growth not only in the city but also in the whole Kalinga province, Engr. Ireneo S. Gallato, Lower Kalinga Distrcit Engineering Office district engineer, said here Friday.
However, Galato said the initial works for the development of the 18-kilometer stretch of the Chico river covering the six barangays of the city and five barangays of Pinukpuk town will initially start this year with the expected utilization of the P100 million earmarked by the agency for the start of the works for the put up of a flood control system in the area.
He described the flood control project to be at least 300 meters in width and 18 kilometers that will strand over the various parts of the city and nearby towns to help prevent the occurrence of perenial flooding in the low-lying areas along the Chico river system.
“We have to first rely on the available funds earmarked by our central office for the realization of the development of the Chico river. We have to await the final results of the preparation of the Chico river master development plan to justify the appropriation of a much bigger amount for us to be able to implement more development projects along the stretch of the river system,” Gallato stresssed.
Among those planned to be included in the Chico river master development plan is the construction of an airport in the area, the building of the appropriate business and economic and tourism zones within the 18-kilometer stetch of the river so that there will be a significant increase in business activities in the province in the future.
The district engineer ordered his personnel to start the implementation of all their programmed projects this year and for them to mobilize the contractors so that the agency will be able to be granted additional projects during the year to help improve the infrastructure condition in the province.
According to him, the DPWH-LKDEO will have to do with the available funds that will be given to the agency to start the initial works for the rehabilitation and development of the Chico river development and economic zone so that their contral office will be convinced tht the district office is capble of abosrbing bigger funds that could be given to them in the coming months for the implementation of their priority projects in the different parts of the province.
The Lower Kalinga District Engineering office is one of the classified first-class districts in the Cordillera having to maintain over 250 kilometers of national roads including various forms of major infrastructure prjects being funded by the national government and implemented in the different parts of the province.
By HENT
