TABUK CITY, Kalinga – The Lower Kalinga District Engineering Office of the Department of Public Works and Highways (LKDEO-DPWH) reported its accomplishments in the implementation of numerous infrastructure projects funded under the agency’s regular infrastructure program last year.
Engr. Ireneo S. Gallato, Lower Kalinga district engineer, said there are still 10 bridge projects that are on-going while two projects have not yet started awaiting the results of soil exploration.
Further, the district has some 57 projects that are also on-going that will inter-connect the province with its neighboring provinces in the Cordillera and the Cagayan Valley.
Among the reasons for the failure of the projects to start include the on-going program of work preparation, plan preparation on the process and awaiting the results of soil tests conducted in the project sites.
“We are fastracking the completion of our uncompleted projects last year so that we will be able to absorb the funds that will be again downloaded to us by our central office this year. We are happy that there is already a significant state of development in the different parts of the province since the government heavily invested on infrastructure development to help boost economic growth in the countryside,” Gallato stressed.
The Lower Kalinga District Engineering Office is classified as a first-class district engineering office because of its over 25- kilometers of national roads that traverse the towns of Tanudan, Pinukpuk and Rizal and Tabuk City.
On the other hand, the Upper Kalinga District Engineering office covers the towns of Pasi; Lubuagan, Tinglayan, and Balbalan.
Gallato said the funds that were included in the regular infrastructure fund of the agency is through the able assistance of Rep. Allen Jesse Mangaoang who assisted agency officials in making sure that both the Kalinga districts will be able to receive sufficient funding support for their priority projects.
Aside from the rehabilitation, reconstruction, and upgrading of national roads, he claimed the other major infrastructure projects that are being handled by the district office are flood control and drainage projects, bridge construction and retrofitting projects, among others.
He said the timely completion of the concreting of major national roads contributed in significantly reducing the travel time in going to the different towns of the province, thus, tourist destinations will surely be patronized by the expected influx of domestic and foreign visitors wanting to visit the scenic tourist spots around Kalinga.
Moreover, Gallato added the improved state of roads and bridges province-wide will definitely open the floodgates of investments in potential growth areas that will provide more employment opportunities for qualified residents, increase their sources of livelihood and translate to major economic activities even in the remotest villages in the future.
By HENT