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Manila Bulletin devider Opinion devider 76-km detour prior to Pigalo Bridge

76-km detour prior to Pigalo Bridge

Published Jun 15, 2019 12:43 am

NIGHT OWL

Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo

When Pigalo Bridge in Isabela was devastated by typhoons Pedring and Quiel in 2011, farmers who wanted to deliver their agricultural products to Manila or Tuguegarao had to take a 76-km detour via Alicia-Angadanan-San Guillermo-Naguilian Road. After it was destroyed, residents of Isabela had to cross the Cagayan river to go to school and sustain their livelihood.

Small boats have become a principle mode of transportation. However, villages are isolated during the rainy season when boats are prohibited. Without access to public transportation, students who attend the nearby Isabela State University in Echague had to navigate via boat or bicycle to school.

The Pigalo bridge, which was started in April 10, 2017, was completed in a span of two years and was formally inaugurated this June. The construction started as soon as it was reclassified as a national bridge. It replaced the old dilapidated overflow structure, which posed a danger to motorists and pedestrians for at least eight years.

To secure access of pedestrians, sidewalks with concrete railings were also included in the Pigalo Bridge, a 450-meter long bridge which established access of San Guillermo, Echague and San Mateo in  Isabela to Tuguegarao City and Manila via Daang Maharlika and Junction Angadanan.

Pigalo bridge is only one of the many projects included in the Convergence and Rural Development Program of the Department of Public Works and Highways.

2,167 km of farm-to-market roads completed

According to DPWH Secretary Mark Villar, a total of 2,167 kilometers of farm-to-market roads has been completed since President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office in 2016.

A total of P23.34 billion has been allocated to improve the transfer of goods and services in hard to reach areas.

In Zamboanga del Norte, six farm-to-market roads were completed within two months in 2018, including the 700-meter Barangay Panabang farm-to-market road in the municipality of Liloy, worth P7-million; and the 500-meter Barangay Tan-Awan farm-to-market road in the municipality of Baliguian, amounting to P5-million.

Meanwhile, community members of Katipunan Village in the municipality of Silago, Southern Leyte, are now benefitting from the concreting of the 4-kilometer Catmon farm-to-mark road.

In support of the government’s continued effort to support the agricultural sector, DPWH has implemented a total of 4,074 projects through the Agri-Infrastructure Support Program of DPWH and Department of Agriculture.

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Anna Mae Y. Lamentillo Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo NIGHT OWL
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