BAGUIO CITY – Officials of Baguio City and Benguet are calling for a comprehensive strategy to address the worsening condition of Kennon Road as a newly built rock shed is already at risk of collapse due to soil erosion, less than a year after its completion.

Benguet Rep. Eric Yap said Monday they have requested the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to immediately develop both short- and long-term solutions to keep the vital roadway open and safe.

He added that once a sustainable plan is finalized, he would lobby for national funding and congressional support.

Of Kennon Road’s 33-kilometer stretch, more than 25 kms lie within Benguet.

Despite suffering extensive damage from the 1990 Luzon earthquake, the road continues to undergo temporary “band-aid” fixes. The latest was a rock shed constructed to protect motorists from frequent landslides in Sitio Camp 6 in Barangay Camp 4.

Mayor Benjamin Magalong, in a media interview on Monday, echoed the urgency.

"Kailangang magkaroon ng seryosong pag-uusap kasama ang matataas na opisyal ng DPWH upang matukoy ang kakulangan,” he said.

(There is a need for a serious dialogue with high officers of the DPWH to know what needs to be done)

He pushed the idea of auditing to assess not only natural factors like soil erosion, but also possible human errors, such as design deficiencies and construction lapses, that may have played a role in the incident.

He suggested that Kennon Road be privatized for better management.

"A thorough scrutiny will lead to a better master plan for Kennon," he said.

"For us to maintain it, we should privatize it and avoid it from becoming a money-making structure." (PNA)