LA TRINIDAD, Benguet (PIA) — In less than a week, a temporary access road has been constructed along the collapsed portion of the Baguio-Bontoc National Road or the Halsema Highway at Pilando, Gambang, Bakun in Benguet.
Thanks to “Binnadang”(bayanihan), a cornerstone of Cordilleran culture. Over a hundred volunteers and workers including local residents, farmers from various Benguet towns, miners from Mankayan, uniformed personnel, and laborers of contractors, worked together to build a sturdy riprap wall at the collapsed Pilando section of Halsema Road.
The sinking area at the Pilando section totally collapsed afternoon of August 23. The pavement was washed out due to heavy rains in the province of Benguet in the past weeks.
Road users including farmers, tourists, travelers to the northern Benguet, Mountain Province, Ifugao and parts of the Ilocos Region were affected by this road cut. Travelers have to take alternate routes such as the Cong. Andres Acop Cosalan Road via the Benguet-Nueva Vizcaya Road or the Tagudin – Cervantes Road in Ilocos Sur requiring longer travel.
Through the traditional binnadang or bayanihan system, these volunteers collectively contributed their time and effort to complete the riprap wall, which is important for the construction of a temporary access road along the damaged section of the Halsema Highway.
Also playing crucial role are the Caticat and Vicente families who allowed that their gardens be used for the temporary road.
The Department of Public Works and Highways spearheads restoration work on the main road while Vice Governor Ericson Felipe steered the construction of the access road as a temporary solution.
At 10:20 AM of August 29, the DPWH-Cordillera announced that the detour road at the Pilando section is open for light vehicles only.
A day after the road collapsed, Benguet Representative Eric Yap announced initial actions that could be done to place temporary and permanent solution to the collapsed portion of the Halsema Highway.
Yap said that after reporting to House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez during the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Caravan in Lipa City, Batangas about the road situation, he coordinated with various agencies for immediate actions. The Speaker, the Department of Budget and Management, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council , and the DPWH have promised an initial amount of P150 million to fund the repair of the damaged road.
On Aug. 27, Yap met with the House Speaker and DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan to discuss restoration plans for the Halsema Road. A proposed long-term solution to the sinking portion of the national road is a cable stayed bridge which is estimated to cost of P2.2 billion.
Yap said while the there is still no funding for the proposed cable bridge, his office together with other government agencies continue to look for short-term solution to help ease travel for commuters and vegetable traders.
Over the weekend, local officials led by representatives from the Office of Governor Melchor Diclas, together with officials and employees of the DPWH and the local government of Bakun and Buguias, and another group led by Vice Governor Felipe visited the site to look into the situation, and at the same time held consultation meetings with residents and lot owners in the area to negotiate for the construction of a temporary access road.
Following a successful negotiation with affected land owners, a temporary access road was constructed completed in less than a week. (RMC, PIA-CAR) (contributed photos)
