The Conditional Matching Grant to Provinces (CMGP) which started in 2017, is a governance reform program of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in partnership with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). The program supports the sustainable development of provincial roads by: Championing Governance Reforms on Local Road Management (LRM) and Public Financial Management through capacity development activities, and Providing Financial Subsidy for the rehabilitation and improvement of provincial roads and bridges to improve local competitiveness through better roads connectivity. This coffee table book narrates the happy faces of success stories brought about by the improvement and rehabilitation of the poor-to-bad core provincial roads in FY 2017. The good tales as experienced by the communities and Provincial Governments of Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, and Mountain Province are written so it can be shared and ‘felt’ by others.
Sinto-Pactil-Boga Provincial Road, Bauko, Mountain Province
Department of the Interior and Local Government Cordillera Administrative Region
REGIONAL MANAGEMENT Engr. Marlo L. Iringan Regional Director Araceli A. San Jose Assistant Regional Director Daisy A. Payang Chief, LGCDD Marleen M. Guerzon Chief, LGMED Shirley Evangeline V. Mon Chief, FAD Atty. Genevieve M. Shontogan Attorney IV Millicent B. CariĂąo Provincial Director, DILG-Abra Marvin A. Basquez Provincial Director, DILG-Apayao Evelyn B. Trinidad City Director, DILG-Baguio City Rufina T. Fegcan Provincial Director, DILG-Benguet Regina Elizabeth L. Mammag Provincial Director, DILG-Ifugao Max Mayer G. Adong Provincial Director, DILG-Kalinga
Anthony Manolo I. Ballug Provincial Director, DILG-Mountain Province
Warm Greetings! We are pleased to share with you the happy faces of success as experienced by the communities traversed by the Conditional Matching Grant to Provinces (CMGP) Program in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR). The FY 2017 CMGP sub-projects implemented by the six (6) Provincial Governments of the Cordillera for the improvement, upgrading, and rehabilitation of the core provincial roads were considered completed with merit despite the challenges. The stories of our beneficiaries reflect the joys felt when their hopes and aspirations come true. Most certainly, improvement of the provincial roads have helped address the plight of the communities as they endeavor for the progress they truly deserved. I wish you would enjoy the journey as you read the tales of the improved provincial roads in the Cordilleras!
Engr. MARLO L. IRINGAN, CESO III Regional Director DILG — CAR
Greetings of joy to all of you! Indeed, the road to development is the road itself! The communities of the Cordilleras are truly happy and grateful as they share the positive impact brought about by the improvement, upgrading, and rehabilitation of the provincial roads under the FY 2017 CMGP Program.
The communities’ hope that improvement of roads leading to socio-economic development, which has been a long dream of the Cordillerans, are being achieved. Through the improved and rehabilitated provincial roads, delivery of basic services to the communities is easier. Moreover, upgraded roads opened linkages to more opportunities for the communities. The DILG-Cordillera Administrative Region, therefore, enjoins you to feel the same happiness we and the beneficiaries felt as you read their heartwarming stories. Enjoy and we are looking forward to share with you the succeeding success stories!
ARACELI A. SAN JOSE, CESO IV Assistant Regional Director DILG — CAR
Enhancing Connectivity of Abrenian Communities Improving Roads, Improving Lives Improvement and Upgrading of Licuan-Baay Provincial Road — Licuan-Baay, Abra
Polishing the Way Towards Peace and Prosperity Improvement and Upgrading of Talogtog-Dolores-San Juan-Tineg Provincial Road — San Juan and Tineg, Abra
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Upgrading of Eva-Tanglagan-Bucarot Provincial Road — Calanasan, Apayao
Arising from the Bounds of a Muddy Past Upgrading of Buluan-Mawigue-Allangigan-Caglayan Provincial Road — Calanasan, Apayao
Road Upgrading and Improvement of Halsema-Madaymen Provincial Road (Phase II) — Kibungan, Benguet
Supporting Opportunities: The Key for Sustainable Communities Road Upgrading and Improvement of Amburayan-Boneng Provincial Road — Kapangan, Benguet
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Upgrading of Zamora-San Quintin-Bangar Provincial Road — Alfonso Lista, Ifugao
Concrete Passages brings Concrete Advantages Upgrading of Pinto-Aurora Boundary Provincial Road — Alfonso Lista, Ifugao
Improvement and Upgrading of Laya-Cabaruan-Sucbot-Magaogao Provincial Road — Tabuk City, Kalinga
One Road: Diverse Stories, Different Voices, Single Aspiration Improvement and Upgrading of Cabaritan-Dugpa Provincial Road — Pinukpuk, Kalinga
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Leaving Struggles Behind with New Hopes to Look Forward To
Reaching Breakthroughs in the Community’s Status Quo
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Abrupt Road Benefits from Gradual Road Improvements
A Major Promise For Kalinga’s Economy
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Paving the Way to Eva’s Dreams
A Better and Safer Way Towards Progress
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Geographically Divided. For Everyone’s Progress, United.
Reaching Development Goals Faster, Sooner
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Maximizing the Role of Roads for Agriculture and Tourism Industry Better Social Services, Better Life Choices Improvement/Upgrading of Poblacion-Aba-Bacarri Provincial Road — Paracelis, Mountain Province
The Road to Development is the Road Itself Improvement/Upgrading of Sinto-Pactil-Boga Provincial Road — Bauko, Mountain Province
Enhancing Connectivity of Abrenian Communities
T
he province of Abra is located on the northwestern side of the Cordillera Administrative Region. Its deep valleys, wide plains and sloping hills are shut-off by rugged mountains, except on the western portion where the Abra River flows towards the coastal plains of Ilocos Sur. It is bounded on the north by the provinces of Ilocos Norte and Apayao, on the east by the province of Kalinga, on the west by the province of Ilocos Sur and on the south by Mountain Province.
of water for irrigation, micro-hydro projects particularly in upland areas, and a potential source of domestic water supply.
Abra has a total land area of 397,555 hectares, the largest in terms of area in the region after the division of Kalinga and Apayao into two separate provinces. It comprises of 27 municipalities totaling of 303 barangays corresponding to a lone congressional district.
The province is accessible by land through the Abra-Ilocos Sur national road, one of the seven arterial roads traversing the province’s municipalities. This road is the main access and business line of transportation that links the province to its neighboring provinces and the rest of the country. The other access roads connect the other CAR provinces on the east and the northern provinces of Region I on the west.
Geographically, Abra may be divided into two parts, the east and northwestern portions bordering the provinces of Ilocos Sur, Kalinga and Apayao as the uplands/highlands. These comprises rolling hills and rugged mountains that constitute more than half of the provincial land area. The southern and western portions of the province comprises the lowlands, where most of the plains and valleys are located. Abra as part of the Cordillera serves as the watershed cradle of North Luzon. It hosts one of the major river basins in the country which have been affirmed to have enormous water-holding capacity – the Abra River. This river, along with its major tributaries, are currently utilized as source
Based on the 2015 Census of Population and Housing, the province of Abra posted a population of 241,160. This population accounted for about 14 percent of the total population of Cordillera Administrative Region, the second largest in terms of size among the Cordillera provinces, next to Benguet.
As economic activities are mostly concentrated on the agricultural sector, Abra is an agriculturalbased province. Almost all the municipalities are reliant to agriculture and this is supported by its vast arable lands. The presence of production surpluses in corn and cattle potential for marketing and processing provides source of income among the farming population thus, reducing poverty incidence and drives economic development in the province. Though lands are fertile for agricultural production, farmers in some municipalities with
poor road conditions are restricted to achieve maximum benefits from their products especially if they can’t bring these down to the capital town Bangued where markets are located. To fully support the growth of agricultural activities and other potential industries in the province, the infrastructure plan for the province for the next years includes the aim to provide efficient access to infrastructure services in the strategic secondary urban growth areas, and to its adjacent provinces. It focuses mainly on the improvements of existing road facilities of the province and implementation of proposed projects. In 2017, the province has been granted with funding support for the upgrading and improvement of its core roads through the CMGP Program of the DILG and DBM. Among the roads which have been improved and upgraded through this grant was the Talogtog-Dolores-San Juan-Tineg Provincial Road in the Municipalities of San Juan and Tineg, and the Baay-Licuan Provincial Road in the Municipality of Licuan-Baay. These roads
were among the identified core roads in the province prioritized for funding as these are assessed to be the most needy based on their road maps, and economic problems in transporting goods to the capital town. Especially during rainy seasons, these upland areas become difficult to access where they seem to become isolated from the rest of the province. With this, even if they have bountiful agricultural products, the farmers are not able to transport these to the lowlands where the trading is concentrated.
The Provincial Government of Abra believes that roads play important roles in enhancing internal and external circulations supporting the growth of potential industries, and the economic activities in the province in general. With the support of the CMGP for the improvement of its core economic roads, the people in the priority areas are on their way towards fully maximizing their resources and experiencing development in their then ‘isolated’ communities.
“We are thankful because the Province of Abra was given the privilege to be a recipient of the CMGP Program. “The province has limited resources particularly on funds. We only make use of the 20% development fund in which we cannot fully accommodate all the projects needed by our constituents. The CMGP now plays a very big role in the development of Abra especially in the selected project locations in the upland municipalities which mostly are becoming isolated especially during rainy seasons. With the CMGP Projects in those municipalities, they are now more accessible and connected to other places of the province. “The CMGP Program has many requirements and we are trying to cope-up with all of these. We are also aspiring that the funding support from the CMGP further increase because we feel here in the Province of Abra the presence of these funds. Not only as public servants in the administration, but as residents, as the people or constituents, we feel that there is development when there is presence of good road networks.”
MICHAEL RONALD P. BERSAMIRA JR. Provincial Administrator Provincial Government of Abra
“Our Detailed Engineering Designs are now prepared in-house here in the Provincial Government of Abra. Before, we prepare our road plans the traditional way. The CMGP has taught us how to do it now by Civil 3D, and so we already bought RTK surveying equipment. “We are no longer outsourcing the preparation of our DEDs through consulting services because we are now capable. We are thankful for the CMGP for training our engineers, for teaching us how to do it.”
REYNALDO B. ALAGAO Provincial Engineer Provincial Government of Abra
Gordon B. Hinckley meant well when he said, “without hard work, nothing grows but weeds.” This is true when we talk about road improvement. Improving poor roads into high quality roads decreases transportation costs and opens opportunities for trade and investment. The Province of Abra is on its way of improving lives of its settlers. The residents in the Municipality of Licuan-Baay are among the beneficiaries of the CMGP Program and their stories are a source of inspiration and an evidence of the good things resulting from hard work. Mr. Ernesto Martes Sr. is a family man who is looking into his retirement in a few months. He is a resident of Barangay Poblacion and works with the local government unit as one of the senior engineers. He claims to have seen the importance of good road network and he is beyond thankful to see it happen in his own home town before his retirement. The improvement of their road has always been among his dream, having experienced the difficulty of passing through these roads in previous years. He narrated that before the road improvement had been implemented, it took him and other residents four hours to travel from his home to his office in the province’s capital, Bangued. After the road improvement, it only takes approximately two hours of travel time to reach the town — making them save 50% time on their usual trips. These claims have been supported by another resident, Mr. Edmond Sawadan. He said that before the road improvement, the only jeepney trip going to Bangued from their community was scheduled to leave at 1:00 pm daily. As departure was set at this time, it was already dark when they reach their destination.
Baay-Licuan Provincial Road
Baay-Licuan Provincial Road
Project Title: Improvement and Upgrading of Baay-Licuan Provincial Road Location: Municipality of Licuan-Baay, Abra Project Cost: ₱39,974,278.33 Total Length: 1.60 Km Completion Date: January 1, 2019
He also shared that the elders worry about their safety because of the bumpy ride due to poor road condition. But things became different. “Now, the elders can happily share stories among each other because they have no more worries. The trip to Bangued is now smooth and safe.,” he said. The surface of the road is as important as what is within. All the positive reactions from the beneficiary-residents are backed by an excellent road rehabilitation or high-quality program implementation, through the supervision of the Provincial Engineering Office (PEO) of the Provincial Government of Abra (PEO). The PEO vouched that during the project implementation, they see to it that the roads being completed are within the set standards. Engr. Reynaldo B. Alagao, the Provincial Engineer, expressed gratitude to the program for not just improving the road networks in the province, but also for helping their engineers improve their professional skills. The trainings provided helped them transition from the traditional ways of planning and constructing roads, towards modern and advanced methods. Living up to the name. According to the folklore, the word “licuan” originated from “Licuanan.” She is a woman of extraordinary size and strength, who used to rule the place. On the other hand, “baay” came from a line uttered “awan ti paay” which means “useless” in Ilocano. It was uttered due to disappointment from a painful tune. Licuan-Baay will live up true to the positive half of its name with great improvement among the lives of its people. It is far from being useless as the possibility for a stronger municipality is here. It will find its glory one day because of the new found hope from these roads. The municipality has a strong resonance of the positive impact of improved roads brought by true service and determination towards improvement of lives.
Baay-Licuan Provincial Road
Benefit to farmers San Juan, Abra is composed mostly of farming communities. Residents rely heavily on access roads to bring their produce to the capital town Bangued and other nearby areas. However, it would take them five hours to reach these destinations. The long travel hours was a burden for the farmers because it meant they have to leave very early to catch the market goers and come home with a profit. It was a challenge to keep their produce fresh during the trip as most of the time, their products get damaged from the long and bumpy ride. Aside from the rough road which made travel longer, there were areas which are slippery during the rainy season and people had to pull their vehicle to budge from the heavy mud. Before vehicles are able to pass through the road, horses were used to transport goods. With the poor road condition, this was a faster mode to travel; however, they can only transport limited amount of goods per load. The presence of good road which was made possible by the CMGP has helped ease a lot of the
challenges the farmers had been facing. Now, it takes only two hours to travel to Bangued and it is also easier to get vehicles to transport their produce. Transporting goods from the barangay to the capital town is comparably cheaper because it is now easier for vehicles to pass through and the risk of mechanical trouble is lesser. With the cheaper transportation costs, farmers claimed that there is a 40% decrease on the cost per sack of vegetables transported from their communities to the marketplaces in Bangued. The ripple effect Development they say has a ripple effect. The development that came to the barangays of San Juan also extended to other areas such as Tineg, Lagayan and Lacub as residents in these municipalities also pass through the same road. This is also how the Kaparkan Falls of Tineg developed as a tourist destination because it has now become more accessible as compared before. Mr. Romulo Villamonte Jr., the Municipal Engineer of Tineg, said that it was difficult for families
in the areas to send their children to school not just because they had to walk all the way to the school but because others need to stay in boarding houses near the schools. As the additional boarding costs cannot be handled by other farming families, most of the time, some children end up dropping school. With the presence of the improved road, it is now easier for the children to reach school as they also do not need to stay in boarding houses anymore. He said that the number of children attending school has increased and this means that the future is now better for the children of the benefiting communities. Aside from the benefits to agriculture, the improved roads also provided additional livelihood to some residents as businesses flourished in the communities. It provided opportunities and diversification on the sources of income of the residents that some are even able to buy their own service vehicles. It is also easier now to transport the sick and those giving birth. In the past years, people used to carry patients through a bulig or an improvised carrier made of a blanket and two bamboos to a place where a vehicle can pick them up. All in all, the safety of the residents when traveling is more reassured with the concreting of the road. They no longer have to face the risks of accidents caused by poor road conditions most especially during rainy seasons. Residents say that their hearts are full because of this blessing that has come unto them.
San Juan-Tineg Provincial Road
Project Title: Improvement and Upgrading of Talogtog-DoloresSan Juan-Tineg Provincial Road Location: Municipalities of San Juan and Tineg, Abra Project Cost: â‚ą30,793,439.03 Total Length: 2.00 Km Completion Date: October 24, 2018
Controlling insurgencies The province of Abra experiences incidence of insurgencies. People fighting for their own ideologies usually camp in inaccessible and highland areas.
Provincial Administrator Michael Ronald Bersamira Jr., emphasized a quotation from Governor Ma. Jocelyn Bernos, saying that “where the road ends, insurgency begins.� With the paving of the roads, it is expected that the presence of these groups are lessened. Insurgencies can be more controlled. He shared that aside from the road improvements, the conduct of the People’s Day in the communities is another way of encouraging people not to join insurgent groups. Through this, various government agencies visit the communities to provide services and information on what people can avail of or benefit from the government. The conduct of this event is easier now that the communities are more accessible.
San Juan-Tineg Provincial Road
“Progress in the communities is because of the roads. As they say, there is no development without roads because it connects the people to the government. “This road services four municipalities: San Juan, Tineg, Lagayan, and Lacub. With the improvement of the roads, the National Government is now frequently bringing their services in these communities, unlike before which was very difficult to reach us. “The road improvements have also greatly helped us in the Municipal Local Government to bring services to the people.”
ROMULO M. VILLAMONTE JR. Municipal Engineer Tineg, Abra
Geographically Divided. For Everyone’s Progress, United
A
payao is the youngest province in the Cordillera Administrative Region. Formerly a part of the old province of Kalinga-Apayao, the conversion into two separate and regular provinces: Kalinga and Apayao, took effect on February 14, 1995 with the passage of RA No. 7878 which was authored by the late Congressman Elias K. Bulut. The Iyapayaos have maintained their peaceful coexistence with the natural environment, thus their province is dubbed as “Cordillera’s Last Nature Frontier,” also crediting it with their collection of natural wonders that are otherwise not found in the rest of the Cordilleras. Here, underground rivers, majestic waterfalls, magnificent lakes hug a unique land that is replete with captivating caves, picture-pretty parks, and exotic wildlife. Although Apayao has the lowest population among CAR Provinces, it has the largest land area which in effect denotes the lowest population density in CAR. Based on 2015 Philippine Statistical Authority Survey, Apayao has a total population of 119,184. The province remains to hold the lowest population in CAR (6.97%) and has the fourth lowest population among the provinces in the country (0.12%). Located at the northwestern part of Luzon, the province is bounded on the east and north by the Province of Cagayan, on the west by the Provinces of Ilocos Norte and Abra, and on the south by the Province of Kalinga. The province is composed of 7 municipalities and 134 barangays and geographically subdivided into two regions, the upper and the lower Apayao. Upper Apayao is composed of the upland municipalities of Calanasan, Conner, and Kabugao. Lower Apayao is composed of the lowland municipalities of Luna, Pudtol, Flora, and Santa Marcela. As buttressed in Republic Act 7878, the Municipality of Kabugao remains to be the Capital Town, while the Municipality of Luna is the newly designated provincial government center. The topography of Lower Apayao is generally flat with rolling hills and plateaus. The 4 municipalities composing this area are the major rice and corn producers for the province. Upper Apayao on the other hand is mountainous and characterized by towering peaks, plateaus, and intermittent patches of valleys.
The three municipalities in this area are the primary producers of banana and coffee, and given their vast forests, they serve as the greatest watershed of the Abulog River. As the Province of Apayao is geographically divided into two separate regions leaving upper and lower municipalities physically isolated with each other, the task of providing a major road network to interlink the seven municipalities of Apayao proves to be one of the dilemmas the province is facing at present. Latest road inventory revealed that more than half (59%) of the provincial roads in Apayao are in poor condition and providing an efficient internal circulation through a core road network remains one of the development priorities of the province. In 2017, the CMGP Project of the DILG and DBM has granted Apayao with assistance to help the province advance in attaining their vision of improving the road network in the province. Through the CMGP Project, the Improvement of Buluan-Mawigue-Allangigan-Caglayan Provincial Road in the Municipality of Conner, and the Upgrading of Eva-TanglaganBucarot Provincial Road in the Municipality of Calanasan were realized. These two core roads were identified by the Provincial Government of Apayao as priority for improvement as the affected areas were assessed as depressed but have great potentials in helping boost socioeconomic activities not just in their municipalities, but for the province as a whole. Generally, Apayao remains to be lagging behind because of its limited accessibility. But with the continuous assistance brought by the CMGP, the Provincial Government of Apayao believes that rehabilitation and improvement of its internal circulation trunk line and lateral roads shall be immediately addressed, as the improvement of these vital roads networks is necessary to attain accessibility and physical integration, and promotion of economic welfare of the Iyapayaos.
Eva-Tanglagan-Bucarot Provincial Road
Project Title: Upgrading of Eva-Tanglagan-Bucarot Provincial Road Location: Municipality of Calanasan, Apayao Project Cost: â‚ą84,100,879.00 Total Length: 3.72 Km Completion Date: April 18, 2019
Calanasan is one of the three municipalities of the upper district of the Province of Apayao. The other two are Conner and Kabugao. Of all the areas in the province, these three are the most difficult to access because of its mountainous terrains. Moreover, there is no road connecting these municipalities together where residents need to travel out of the province and pass through the towns of Cagayan to reach Luna, the government center of the province, or other municipalities of Apayao. Sitio Ayayao in Barangay Eva, a community in Calanasan, can be reached solely by foot with its muddy and rocky access road during the earlier years. Following the river was the preference before as it also serves as a shorter way to reach Barangay Eva’s center where the highway is situated. Residents of Sitio Ayayao and in the neighboring Barangay Tanglagan took about an hour of walking to reach the main road in the center where people can get a ride to reach Claveria in Cagayan, the nearest town to buy supplies.
Mr. Reneflor Evangelista, a teacher and a resident of the community, recalls that during rainy seasons, when the family needed to go to the market to buy supplies, they must walk close to each other in a single file. They had to traverse the pathways slowly with no footwear on as it was very slippery. Coming back from the market, since they had to carry the goods they bought, they cannot use an umbrella to protect them from the rain. They carried their load on top of their heads and used an improvised raincoat made from big plastic bag. All these difficulties came to an end when the upgrading and improvement of the Eva-Tanglagan-Bucarot Provincial Road has materialized. Vehicles can now easily access the sitio and its adjacent communities, making travelling faster and more comfortable.
Other Benefits for the Communities Access to health has as well improved. People are now more aware of the health programs of the Department of Health since dissemination of information has been easier for the health teams. Medical supplies are also easier to transport and thus, readily available to the residents.
Eva-Tanglagan-Bucarot Provincial Road Transporting farmers’ products of rice and yam to Claveria became much easier even during rainy seasons. Larger vehicles are now available, saving them costs from the expensive hiring of motorcycles that they have been used to before when the roads were still in poor condition. Some residents have also started acquiring vehicles for their transportation. The usual one hour of walking now only takes five to ten minutes through motorcycle to reach the center of Eva where the local government office can also be accessed. Construction of structures became easier; the residents are able to build houses with sturdier materials because they can already transport construction materials easier. Houses made of concrete have mushroomed in the communities.
Paving the way to children’s dreams The school children are one of the most benefitted in the presence of the improved and concreted road. Through this, improvement in the school buildings in Ayayao were realized. Only the primary grades are available in the community, and students for intermediate grades which is offered in the mother school located at the center of Eva, can now reach their school faster and safer. Mr. Evangelista shared his observation that absenteeism was very common among school children when the road was not yet improved because of the risks of travelling to school during the rainy season. He said that a single slip may cause the children to fall down the river. At present, children can go to school more conveniently. Even if they still have to walk to school, the road is not muddy and slippery anymore. The improvement of the road not only paved the development of the community but also the dreams of Eva’s children. This has changed the perspective of the younger ones as they used to believe that the only way of living is what they have been used to. Children started to realize that there is a different world out there which is possible for them to reach. That they can dream for better lives and go beyond where they are now.
Project Title: Improvement of Buluan-Mawigue-Allangigan-Caglayan Provincial Road Location: Municipality of Conner, Apayao Project Cost: â‚ą58,280,172.79 Total Length: 3.07 Km Completion Date: February 10, 2019
Arising from the bounds of a Muddy Past The Province of Apayao is richly blessed with resources and topography. There is a fair share of mountain ranges and valleys where diverse crops are blissfully cultivated for the consumption of the community. These include banana, corn, rice and other tropical fruits. Despite having longer rainy season, this is regarded as an advantage as residents could have abundant harvests. However, when harvest time arrives, some of the residents were in dilemma to sell their produce because of the distance they need to travel before arriving to marketplaces. It is not the distance that troubles the residents the most but rather, the path itself. Most of the residents carry their harvest for an hour or more from their farms to the main highway before they could ride going to the markets. Some fortunate farmers would use carabaos as aid in carrying their products. Most of the time, plenty of the produce rot especially those from the farmers living farther in the mountains because they only sell what they could carry. “Narigat idi ta kasla saan nga kapapati ta naguneg ti lubo, service mo nuwang, ken saan nga mabalin nga kumpurni nga nuwang laeng (It was very difficult before because the mud is unbelievably deep. The service that you could only use is carabao, and not just any ordinary carabao),” Mr. Joel Bumal-o, a farmer and a resident of Barangay Mawigue, Conner, describes. Aside from the farmers and travelers, students also struggled since they needed to endure traversing the muddy pathways just to arrive at school on time. Most of the time, they
needed to carry spare clothes since they find their clothes muddy after the challenging walks. To lessen the hustle, most of the students resorted to board near their school which added burden to the daily expenses of their families. Health is also at risk due to the rigorous roads in the past. Since there was no medical assistance nearby, the residents had to transport patients bare-handedly until they reach the highway. As a result of this form of travel, many lost their lives because they did not reach the nearest medical facility on time. Not just the sickly, but also pregnant women, where some had no choice but to give birth along the muddy way. Like other communities in the Cordillera, Barangay Mawigue breathed easier through the improvement and upgrading of its roads as brought by the CMGP Program. Doors of opportunities opened and hopes for better life became clearer to its residents. Through the improvement of the road, possibilities of more convenient transportation were ignited. Carabaos are no longer forced to serve as a medium to transport goods to and from the market. The travel time of the residents lessened from 1-4 hours into just about 30 minutes to one hour. In fact, most of the residents already bought motorcycles, bicycles, and cars for their daily transportation. Produce are no longer left rotting in the farms because farmers can already sell all their harvests. Businesses started to bloom as the improved roads offered opportunities for some residents to explore entrepreneurship. “Saan nga
kasla idi nga sacrifice nga ipagna idiay highway agpa Cagayan, itatta isuda mismo ti umay ditoyen (It is no longer like before that we need to sacrifice to travel until the highway going to Cagayan, now, they (traders) are already coming to buy our products),” said Mr. Bumal-o happily. The improvement and development of the roads also encouraged the students to fulfill their dreams as it helped in lessening the challenges specially in transportation. They can already arrive at their school earlier and tidier. Most of them do not need to rent boarding houses anymore since they can already walk going to school from their homes, without difficulty and with a faster pace due to the concreted roads. In addition, some of the students already have motorcycles and bicycles as their service. With the convenience brought by the development and improvement of the roads, gone are those days when residents need to carry their patients from the mountains to the highway. They can now be fetched by vehicles to the hospital. Sick and pregnant women are now brought to the hospitals quicker. The improvement of the road also made way for the government agencies to bring their services to the community. “Ngayon, maganda na kasi sila na ang dumarating dito sa amin na nagbibigay ng pananim na palay at abono, [It is better now (that the road has been improved) because they (Department of Agriculture) are the ones who come to distribute rice seedlings and fertilizers),” Mr. Rene Macarias, a farmer and resident, testified.
RENE A. MACARIAS Resident Barangay Mawigue, Conner, Apayao
“We use this road to go sell banana, and buy our household supplies in Tuao (Cagayan). We traversed deep muddy pathways thus it took us more than an hour to carry our products from here until the main road in Barangay Buluan where vehicles can be found. Now with the concreted roads, we can reach the area in less than 30 minutes by walking, and with just a couple of minutes using a motorcycle. “Before, we used carts pulled by carabaos to carry our products, and we had to leave as early as 3 AM as we need to reach the place earlier because our carabao might suffer and die from the heat when we travel during mid day. Now, jeepneys can reach us and it was a very big help in transporting our products. “The improvement and concreting of the roads here was a great help for our communities. The Department of Agriculture personnel are frequently reaching us now to provide seeds and farm inputs. We didn’t experience that before; we knew they won’t come because of the difficulty of travelling here. It was us who even went to see them before, but today, they can now reach our barangay with ease, that’s one thing the road has helped. “We are very thankful to the government for improving our roads. Our wish is that for them to continuously help us until all our major roads are improved so that our lives here continue to improve and prosper.”
Buluan-Mawigue-Allangigan-Caglayan Provincial Road
Eva, Calanasan, Apayao
“The CMGP has greatly helped us in funding road projects in our development plans. It will take around five to ten years for us to come-up with the equivalent funds the CMGP has granted for our road improvement and upgrading, and with this assistance, we can now advance to fund other identified priority areas because we were able to save largely from our local funds. “It’s not just on the funding that the CMGP has helped us with, but also its component that we must achieve targets similar to SGLG criteria. We really have to improve in all areas so we can reach the marks and avail of the CMGP Project. There are stiff targets which really need to be worked-out, but our motivation is that when we achieve these, though not perfect, we know that in the hearts of our constituents, our rating from them will be almost perfect. “The CMGP is an excellent program. It’s not just infrastructure, there is its other side which pushes the LGU to level-up in the implementation and delivery of all its services, that’s why the CMGP is a blessing to Apayao, and a blessing for us implementers to aim greater standards of services to our people. “With the completed road improvement and upgrading in the targeted areas, it’s not only the income of the people which has increased but also their perspective towards a better life. The greatest benefit from these roads is that it gave us hope to dream bigger, to pursue for a better life. “Our request is for this program to be uninterrupted so that all those other roads we have committed for CMGP assistance will be realized. To the CMGP and to all funding agencies, we thank you so much for giving brighter hope and brighter life to our people.”
SHERWIN S. AGUDELO OIC — Provincial Accountant Provincial Government of Apayao
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Reaching Development Goals: Faster, Sooner
ituated in the southernmost part of the Cordillera Administrative Region, Benguet Province serves as the gateway to Baguio City and other provinces of the region. The Municipality of La Trinidad which is fondly referred to as the ‘Valley of Colors’ serves as its capital town. Benguet is located 256 kilometers north of Metro Manila, and it is bounded by Mountain Province on the north, Pangasinan on the south, Ifugao and Nueva Vizcaya on the east, and by La Union and Ilocos Sur on the west. The province is the fourth biggest in the region having a total land area of 298,160 hectares which accounts to 15.65% of the region’s land area. It is politically divided into 13 municipalities and 140 barangays. Cordillera’s total population is 1,722,006 in 2015. The largest share which is around 26% was contributed by the province having a population of
446,224. It remained the most populated area in the region and has the highest population density compared to other CAR provinces. Benguet is geographically mountainous characterized by rugged, irregularly patterned ridges, canyons and peaks. Within Benguet is found the second highest mountain in the Philippines, Mount Pulag. The province’s general topography is more of conservatory in nature rather than production, which limits settlement and agriculture production areas, but its general characteristics can be used for eco-tourism, especially on the eastern part of the province. The province is endowed with vast natural resources, both from atop and beneath the earth’s surface. Popularly known as the Salad Bowl of the Philippines due to its massive production of highland vegetables, Benguet is blessed with vast and rich natural resources ranging from dense
forests to fertile agricultural lands which outlines the mountainous landscape of the province. Its land, waters and mineral deposits also continue to sustain the life of its people. Economy in the province is basically resource-based. However, low levels of production remains a reality due to the under-utilization of available resources. Along with this is the problems on economic and social development related to internal and external linkages. These aspects are very much affected by the inefficiency of transport and communication systems to include other infra support facilities. Much remains to be desired in terms of internal road network among the different municipalities in the province. Likewise, external transport linkages to other provinces need improvement. Thus, the Provincial Development and Physical Framework Plan (PDPFP) of Benguet focuses on the maintenance and development of core local roads that connect with national road networks to support local economic development and poverty reduction within its territorial jurisdiction.
The Conditional Matching Grant to Provinces Program of the
DILG and DBM has greatly contributed in the achievement of this PDPFP particularly on improving the transport networks and road linkages in the province. In 2017, the AmburayanBoneng Provincial Road in Kapangan and the HalsemaMadaymen Provincial Road (Phase II) in Kibungan were among the core provincial roads which were upgraded and improved through this funding assistance. Since then, improvement in the mobility and boost in the economic activities supporting agricultural production have been realized in the areas. With the difficult terrains, the inadequacy of road linkages and poor road conditions remain a challenge in the fast achievement of the province’s development goals. But with the support of the CMGP and the National Government, the thrusts to ease and increase economic activity, and improve public access to infrastructure and basic services by strategically developing and maintaining provincial road networks which in turn will result to reduction of poverty in the rural areas and overall progress for the communities in the province, are now deemed more feasible, and achievable in the nearer future.
“The number one benefit of the CMGP Program is the improvement of accessibility in the areas. Travel time was drastically shortened. Economic benefits for the farmers follow as post-harvest losses are minimized. Their products now reach the marketplaces faster and in better condition, thus they yield higher income as better physical state of their produce can command higher market value.�
FIDELA A. LUIS Acting Provincial Planning & Development Coordinator Provincial Government of Benguet
Madaymen, Kibungan, Benguet
A Better and Safer Way Towards Progress Dubbed as the ‘Little Alaska’ of the Philippines, Barangay Madaymen in Kibungan, Benguet is known for its ‘winter-like’ temperatures which can be experienced almost all year round. The community sits at an elevation of 2,000-2,600 meters above sea level, making it the highest and also the coldest place in the whole of Kibungan.
Residents in this community fondly describe their place as ‘home to the rains and cool foggy winds,’ crediting it to the almost incessant rain showers during the monsoon season and the chilling temperatures during the summer. Though these weather conditions may seem to make this rural area a quiet and sleepy town, the cool climate of Madaymen is one of the considerable factors why locals are able to cultivate high value crops and marketable cut-flowers, making farming as the primary source of income in the community. Life in Madaymen during the yesteryears was simple. Despite its far distance to the Halsema Highway, the nearest major thoroughfare, farmers are still blissful in carrying their produce downhill for these to be transported and sold at the Vegetable Trading Post in La Trinidad, the provincial capital. When the road heading the community was finally opened during the time of former Governor Dangwa, people were elated to experience easier travelling and transporting of farm products with the arrival of vehicles. The opening of the road had greatly improved living conditions in the community and had opened new opportunities for the people in so many ways. With this however, the challenges of the narrow and rugged road were still inevitable, and the people had to adapt and deal with what they have, than that of having no roads at all. As the rainy season is experienced in the area almost year-round, the roads were characterized to be always muddy and slippery, making it extra challenging to maneuver vehicles especially when loaded with passengers or farm products. The road surface were uneven and corrugated, making every trip a bouncy ride. Though it was said to be tolerable for the community people as they even humorously described their trips as having a ‘free massage,’ this is disheartening for others as the bumpy road conditions triggered damages not only to their service vehicles, but more to their agricultural products which were supposed to be sold at higher prices if these arrived in optimum conditions to the marketplaces.
Project Title: Road Upgrading and Improvement of Halsema-Madaymen Provincial Road (Phase II) Location: Municipality of Kibungan, Benguet Project Cost: â‚ą45,209,140.69 Total Length: 1.95 Km Completion Date: February 25, 2019
Aside from the poor surface condition, the opened road was narrow, allowing only a one-way traffic that when two vehicles meet, one must concede to reverse even at muddy and slippery slope until finding enough space where the other can pass through. When landslides caused by typhoons struck, the narrow roads were totally blocked, and the difficulty of transporting products doubled as farmers needed to haul these by foot before the goods perishes. All of these difficulties were however drastically minimized when the improvement and concreting of their road was finally brought about by the CMGP Program of the DILG and DBM. Not just the farmers but the whole community have been more than happy to experience and witness the positive changes caused by the development of their road. Farmers have noted that transported vegetable products nowadays reach the marketplaces fresh, since they are not massively damaged with the smoother road surfaces. More women in the community have increased their income as they were enticed to plant more flowers and succulents since they noticed that transporting these became more convenient with the
Madaymen, Kibungan, Benguet
improved roads. The strawberry production of the town also flourished as these sensitive fruits can now be easily brought to the markets without the fear of losing much from mutilation caused by the shaky transportation back then. Aside from the increased agricultural gains, the travel time from the community has also remarkably been shortened with the concreting of their roads. Through a vehicle, reaching Halsema Highway usually takes an hour. Now the locals can reach the area in as fast as 15 minutes. Travelling to the capital town of La Trinidad can now be completed in less than three hours, unlike before where travelers must endure a five-long-hour trip. Since the improvement of the road, more community members have also been able to purchase their own vehicles or motorcycles, without thinking much now of the costs of gas and the possible frequent damages which can be caused by the craggy roads. Some women in the community have even learned how to drive. As school children are previously challenged to walk along the muddy roads to reach their school or hitch for rides when there are passing trucks which can be dangerous, more school children are determined to graduate, now that they can reach their schools in better shape and easier with the increase of safer service vehicles in the community. With all of these benefits, the social and economic activities in the once dreamy community of Madaymen has now become more lively and dynamic. Developments here are just starting, now that there are better and safer roads accelerating the pace towards the community’s progress.
“About 95% of our products are reaching the trading post still at excellent conditions, making us yield more income from our produce. As result of the improvement and concreting of our road, more business establishments have opened here offering more diverse selection of supplies and commodities for the locals. We now have pharmacies here, and merchants of frozen food and eggs can now reach us at ease, unlike before when they suffer substantial damages of their products due to the rugged state of roads coming here.”
HOMER D. TELIAKEN Punong Barangay Madaymen, Kibungan, Benguet
“During emergencies, transporting patients to Atok District Hospital, the nearest hospital facility in the community just takes 20 minutes now that our roads are concreted, unlike before when it took an hour. Pregnant women needing more attention can travel safer as the roads are smoother.”
LETTY S. CALAWA Midwife Madaymen, Kibungan, Benguet
Supporting Opportunities: the Key for Sustainable Communities Situated in the Northern part of Benguet, lies the Municipality known as the “Grand March Capital” of the Province – Kapangan. Based on the latest record from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the municipality has a total land area of 164.39 square meters and is home of two main ethno-linguistic groups of Benguet namely the Kankanaeys and Ibalois. Due to its fertile and blessed soil, farming remains to be the main livelihood of the people of Kapangan. Its terrain is characterized by rugged mountains and hills. The community and farmers from Barangay Boklaoan, one of the 15 barangays in the municipality, are greatly challenged particularly on transporting their vegetable harvest and other livelihood products from farm to market because of the terrain classification of the Municipality. Aguinaldo Matias, 65, a farmer and the Punong Barangay of Boklaoan, has seen and experienced the adversities of transporting their crops to La Trinidad Trading Post. “During summer ket tapok, lasunglasong, aglagtu-lagto ti lugan, isunga nu sumangpet diay nateng idyay La Trinidad wennu idyay pwesto idyay Baguio ket naderder isunga nababa ti presyo na (During summer, the road is dusty and very unpaved causing our crops to be damaged upon arrival at the La Trinidad Trading Post and Baguio thereby commanding lower prices),” he shared when asked on their experienced difficulties in transporting their crops to the trading areas. Similarly, Jennifer K. Buli-e, 52, a farmer and the President of Boklaoan Womens Club, shared that one of the constraints of their livelihood program was the long hours and difficulty of transportation in their community. “Nagrigat nga sumang-at ti lugan ta rough road iti kalsada. Nagbayag nga sumangpet (It’s hard for vehicles to ascend because the road was rough. It took time to arrive),” she said.
JENNIFER K. BULI-E Farmer/Women’s Club President Boklaoan, Kapangan, Benguet
With that, a government intervention thru concreting and improvement of roads brought by the CMGP Project of the DILG significantly helped address the challenges of the farmers and the community. As a result, economic growth and development took place in the community and they are now gladly transporting their vegetable produce at their own convenience.
In general, there has been no doubt that the duration of travel has been lessened due to the concreting and widening of roads and this brings comfort to the community. Roads Increased Economic Value of Locally Produced Crops and Encouraged Local Farmers to Dwell on Agriculture The farmers of Boklaoan shared that there were many instances in the past when buyers would buy their vegetable harvest at a very low price. This is because of decreased quality due to the long duration of travel and the rough road. Also, during landslides along the road, the farmers would manually transport their products which resulted to the increase in transportation cost. But the improvement and concreting of roads brings high hopes to the farmers as they can now transport their harvests to La Trinidad Trading Post easier and faster, while maintaining its freshness. Hence, they can now competitively sell their crops at a very promising price. Undoubtedly, the income of the farmers increased and encouraged other members of the community to dwell on Agriculture. “Ad-adu kitdi ti naggarden tadta ta mayat ti kalsada (More people are enticed in venturing to farming because the road condition has improved),” Matias shared.
Roads Opened Networks of Opportunities Business boomed in the community because of the improvement and concreting of roads. “Adu ti ummay aglaklako, adu pay ti nagstore en ta diyay nalaka da nga mangitransport diyay laklako da isu nga every Friday, adda ti um-umay nga agilaklako iti nateng, fish, ken karne nga naggapu Pangasinan (A lot of vendors are now coming, more are establishing their store since it is easier to transport their stocks like vegetable, fishes, and meat from Pangasinan),” Matias said. Besides, it greatly helped the Boklaoan Womens Club in their livelihood as they can easily bring out their finished product from the community to the market. The organization’s president revealed that the production is high and they increased in income. “Adda iti naitulong na daytoy nga kalsada, ta nu adda ti fiesta, nalaka nga maipan mi diyay lako me nga rugs (This road brings benefits to us, if there are fiestas, we can now easily transport our products),” she said. Additionally, the community can now be easily accessed for assistance and services by the government agencies and nongovernment organizations. “Saan da nga mabuteng wennu sadutan ta diyay lugan da ket maka-ummay idyay (They are not
Project Title: Road Upgrading and Improvement of Amburayan-Boneng Provincial Road Location: Municipality of Kapangan, Benguet Project Cost: ₱43,839,306.64 Total Length: 2.53 Km Completion Date: April 17, 2019
scared or they do not hesitate to come since transportation can now reach the place),” said Denver Cafongtan, the Punong Barangay of Lubo, Kibungan, Benguet. Road Improvement Benefited It’s Neighboring Communities The improvement and concreting of roads not only benefited Boklaoan but also its neighboring barangay, Lubo, Kibungan, Benguet. Punong Barangay Cafongtan, who also happens to be a farmer said that one of the biggest contributions brought by the road widening was the reduction of travel time of vegetable traders from their farms to the market. Specifically to the farmers of Lubo, the road improvement has provided a great sense of assurance when it comes to their income because of the lesser travel time and lesser expenses for the maintenance and repairs of their vehicle because of the smooth travel brought by the improvement, widening, and concreting roads.
Another benefit pointed out by PB Cafongtan was the relief in transporting patients and pregnant women to the hospital. Since the improvement of the road, the risk of pregnant women to give birth along the way has declined. Roads Play a Vital Role in Bridging the School Children’s Future While it is true that the school alone is a haven of learning and it can provide the children a bright future, the distance from home to the learning center may hinder this process. School children before were extremely challenged in their everyday schooling as they were to walk on muddy roads from their homes to the learning institution.
AGUINALDO A. MATIAS Punong Barangay/Farmer Boklaoan, Kapangan, Benguet
Currently, the improvements and concreting of roads alleviated the matter and has secured the learning process in the community. As an outcome, children are more driven to pursue their education and with the assurance of finishing their basic education program. “So tatta ket mayat ti biyag ti estudyante ta adda service da mapan ag-eskwela (Now, students’ life is easier since they have now transportation as means to go to school),” as quoted from PB Cafongtan.
DENVER T. CAFONGTAN Punong Barangay/Farmer Lubo, Kibungan, Benguet
Abrupt Economic Benefits from Gradual Road Improvements
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he province of Ifugao is located at the foot of the Cordillera Mountain Range. As a landlocked province, it is bounded by Isabela on the east, Benguet on the west, Mountain Province on the north, and Nueva Vizcaya on the south. It is the 5th largest among the six provinces of Cordillera Administrative Region with 256,636 hectares, equivalent to 14% of the region’s total land area. Ifugao is politically subdivided into 175 barangays, distributed among the 11 municipalities which are clustered into two districts. District one is composed of Asipulo, Hingyon, Hungduan, Kiangan, Lagawe, Lamut and Tinoc while District 2 covers Aguinaldo, Alfonso Lista, Banaue and Mayoyao. Based on the 2015 Census of Population and Housing, the total population of Ifugao is 202,802 and this represents 11.78% of the total regional population. As it is geographically mountainous and characterized by complex geological features, the province is marked by rugged mountains and massive forests except for the rolling lowlands in the municipalities of Lamut, Alfonso Lista, and part of Aguinaldo. Warmer climate predominate these low lying areas while cooler climate is experienced in the other remaining parts. There are several agricultural crops grown in the province which are classified as seasonal and permanent crops. Seasonal crops are dominated by two staple food – rice and corn. Other seasonal crops include vegetables, root crops and legumes. Permanent crops which are
planted independently or are intercropped with other plants includes the Robusta and Arabica coffee which are mostly planted in the upper portions of Ifugao. Corn farming constitutes about 60% of the total agricultural area of the province, followed by rice, and coffee. These three largely planted crops are the commodities which serve as the main source of income among the Ifugao people. Hence, these agricultural products are categorized as among the major economic drivers for the province. Of the 11 municipalities, Alfonso Lista is one of the major agricultural areas and is among the top producers of rice and corn in the province. To support production and to facilitate access and mobility of the products to the markets, and of farm inputs to the communities, two provincial roads in this municipality have qualified for the assistance for upgrading through the CMGP Project in 2017. These two Economic Driver Core Roads are the Zamora-San Quintin-Bangar Provincial Road, and the Pinto-Aurora Boundary Provincial Road which are both optional primary access roads to transport products from the municipality to the neighboring marketplaces in the Province of Isabela. Statistics show that the road network in the Province of Ifugao is still inadequate and not yet fully developed. But with the assistance of different government programs such as the CMGP Program, the road networks and transportation systems are gradually improving, bringing along progress in the communities that play a key part in boosting the economic activities of the province.
Zamora-San Quintin-Bangar Provincial Road
Zamora-San Quintin-Bangar Provincial Road
Project Title: Upgrading of Zamora-San Quintin-Bangar Provincial Road Location: Municipality of Alfonso Lista, Ifugao Project Cost: â‚ą27,764,376.73 Total Length: 2.49 Km Completion Date: August 31, 2018
The Municipality of Alfonso Lista is one of the major producers of rice and corn in the Province of Ifugao. Most of the residents in this municipality depend on these agricultural products as their major source of income. To support the economic benefits derived from these products, the municipality was benefited with the improvement of their access roads through the CMGP Project of the DILG and DBM. Life in the communities along the stretch of the Santa Maria-San Quintin-Bangar Provincial Road in this municipality was difficult and unimaginable during the yesteryears – that’s at least how Mr. Rolando Bulusan, a farmer and a resident of Santa Maria, would describe their living conditions before their roads have seen improvements. “No saludsuden yo ti kinarigat na, kasla saan man nga agbiag iti tao ditoy idi, (If you would ask how difficult it was, it’s like people would not be able to live here before),” he said as he tries to describe their past situation. Because of the very poor road conditions,
transporting their products to be exchanged for profits in the town center was extremely difficult. He narrated that it took them around two to three hours of walking, or at least 30 minutes of vehicle ride while enduring the bumpy and dusty (muddy when it rains) roads from their community to reach the trading centers in the town center. Ms. Florentina Diampoc, also a resident, supported the narrations of Mr. Bulusan, saying that people were using only ‘kariton’ (cart with wheels) and ‘patuki’ (sled) which are both pulled by carabaos to transport their loads from their farms to the markets, and vice-versa. “Though there is an existing access road, only few trucks could pass through this as it was very rough,” she said. Most of the residents walk going to the market and most farmers would hire trucks even though it costs them as long as they would transport their produce in time before they rot. Because of the bad condition of the existing access road in the communities, the Provincial
Government of Ifugao took notice of the residents’ struggles with their transportation; thus, the road was prioritized for upgrading through the CGMP Program in the year 2017.
increased because farmers are encouraged to expand their farms to accommodate more crops, since their corn products can now be easily transported and sold in the town center.
Rogelio C. Rojelme, a barangay official of Santa Maria, happily shared that because of the road improvement, their struggles related to transportation have lessened. H expressed that there has been a great change in their place. Income from farming has
“Adda payen ti paglakuan ditoy ti mais, adda pag gasolinaan, ket dandani kompleto ditoy en. Daytoy ti pagsayaatan na tatta nga pinmintasen ti dalan tayo [There is already a buying station for corn here, there is gasoline station, and (business establishments) are
almost complete here. This is the good effect now that our road was improved,� he added. Corn buyers are now accordingly coming to them to buy their produce on-site, making them save not just freight
costs but also time and effort of bringing these to the town center like what they used to do. With the improvement of the road, Mr. Bulusan also shared that some lowlanders are already buying properties
in their place and are even setting-up their business establishments like sari-sari stores. Some residents have also purchased their own motorcycles or cars, thus the volume of vehicles passing along their communities has increased.
With all the benefits the improved road has brought, the residents in these communities expresses satisfaction and are very thankful because of the new hope it brought them towards an easier life in the future.
In Barangay Pinto, Alfonso Lista, Ifugao, passing through the rough road from the Sitio Bulinaonao towards the next Barangay of Little Tadian was a challenge. In the past years, one needed to walk barefoot during rainy seasons since even wearing slippers would cause the footwear to sink into the muddy roads. Even vehicles needed to be parked on the road since they cannot pass through the mixture of thick mud and gravel or that they have the tendency to slide down. The ascending and descending parts of the road made access to the areas even more difficult. Initiatives of local leaders The concreting of the portions of the Pinto-Aurora Boundary Provincial Road was made possible through the initiatives of local leaders in the community. Mr. Pacifico Macadangdang Jr., the Punong Barangay, narrated that the former and incumbent barangay officials never got tired of looking for means to improve the road. Little by little, it got improved until finally the major improvement was done through the CMGP Program. Through community consultations and the promise of improved situation in the barangay, the challenges related to road right of way were succeeded. The lot owners affected by the road development agreed to donate portions of their lands until the road was finally developed. “We, in the Provincial Government, have learned a lot from the CMGP Program. Not just the Engineering Office but almost all the departments are involved – from the planning to implementation, until turn-over to the Provincial Government for custody and maintenance. Our LRMT is active and supportive of the implementation of the CMGP in the province.”
NORBERTO N. TAYABAN Engineer IV, Provincial Engineering Office Provincial Government of Ifugao
Pinto-Aurora Boundary Provincial Road
Safety of the school children The condition was especially challenging to the students walking to and from their residences to the school. To some residences, it took the students almost a half day of walking to reach school during normal days. It took even longer during rainy days. It was even more dangerous when they need to cross the river, especially when the bridge in the area was not yet constructed. During such time, an adult needed to assist the students to be able to cross safely. When the barangay did not have a secondary school before, students needed to go to nearby barangays or municipalities to enroll. As it was very difficult to travel to and from the school every day, most students had to live in boarding houses near their schools. When the secondary school was established, the children need not go outside of the barangay anymore. However, it was still difficult for some residents to reach the
Project Title: Upgrading of Pinto-Aurora Boundary Provincial Road Location: Municipality of Alfonso Lista, Ifugao Project Cost: â‚ą29,919,622.22 Total Length: 1.70 Km Completion Date: May 31, 2018
facility as one still needs to walk more than a kilometer on the rough terrain. Ms. Cherry Rose Ramoran, a teacher in the local school, affirmed that with the concreting of the road, enrolment rate has increased significantly. The presence of the bridge also made this happen as it is now safer for the students during rainy days to cross the river. Easier access to basic commodities Market days were also difficult for the residents. They were only able to go to the town center on Thursdays and Sundays when there was available transportation. It took about two hours to reach the market from the sitio and one needed to catch the jeepney to town early or else they would not have food supplies for the week. At present, it takes only less than an hour to go to market. They can now buy their food supplies more often and
thus ensure that the food they cook for their meals are fresh. Others do not even have to go to town to buy their supplies as some residents in the barangay have put up businesses that sell basic commodities such as LPG, vegetables, meat, and others. Convenience to the farmers The residents of the barangay rely mostly on agriculture as their source of income. The main produce are rice and corn which they market mainly in Santiago City, Isabela. In the previous years, farmers would dry their produce in as far as Aurora in the neighboring province of Isabela. This is because they can already sell their products there after drying. Though the farmers are aware that drying of agricultural products on roads are prohibited, they claimed that they temporarily use portions of the concreted roads for convenience while drying pavements are not yet enough in the community. They do not
need to market their products outside the barangay anymore as traders themselves go to the community to buy the produce. Improved access to health services As to the access to healthcare services, it is now easier to transport patients during emergency situations. The three hours travel to Santa Maria, where the district hospital is located, was cut down to less than an hour. Senior-citizen friendly The barangay was finally able to hold its first barangay fiesta where majority of the residents attended, even the senior citizens as it is now easier for them to walk to the center of the barangay. Even on normal days, the senior citizens are now able to stroll around the community. And they were never been happy along with the other residents in enjoying all the benefits of the good roads in their community.
“The Pinto-Aurora Boundary Provincial Road was really difficult to traverse during the previous years. When I was a tricycle operator, I witnessed how hard to pass through. Students were challenged when it rained as the road became muddy and slippery.
PACIFICO B. MACADANGDANG JR. Punong Barangay Pinto, Alfonso Lista, Ifugao
“This road leads to our High School and serves as the main thoroughfare of residents of Barangay Little Tadian to reach the town proper. Heading further will lead us to the Municipality of Aurora in Isabela. “With the gradual improvement of this road, traders from Isabela are now coming frequently to bring in their products because we are now more comfortably accessible. They help in the
generation of revenue of our barangay. Likewise, our local products can now be transported faster to marketplaces in Isabela. “Aside from its benefits to the education and health sectors, the improvement of the roads also pleased our senior citizens. In the past years, they were limited to strolling around and they often requested the younger ones to buy things for them from the markets. After the improvement of roads, we now see them socialize more, we saw how happy they were when they attended our first ever barangay fiesta. Even at night time you see them along the roads, so it has greatly helped them with their mobility.
“The road improvements have greatly helped us barangay officials to perform our duties for the community. We even have noticed that problems being reported to us lessened especially those concerning their agricultural products. “It is really wonderful to have this CMGP Program of the DILG. We are very thankful, especially to those who had been involved for the realization of our road improvement. Let us continue to help each other so that we will also continue improve quicker.”
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A Major Promise for Kalinga’s Economy
ocated at the central part of the Cordillera Administrative Region, the Province of Kalinga is a land-locked territory bounded by the provinces of Apayao on the north, Cagayan and Isabela on the east, Abra on the west, and Mountain Province on the south. The province has a total land area of 3,231.30 square kilometers, covering 17% of CAR’s land area. It has a smaller land area than the provinces of Abra and Apayao, but larger than Mountain Province, Benguet, and Ifugao.
Kalinga is composed of 7 municipalities: Balbalan, Tinglayan, Tanudan, Lubuagan, Rizal, Pinukpuk, and Pasil. It also has one component city, the City of Tabuk, the capital town of the province. The city is comprised of 42 barangays which is more than one-fourth of the total 152 barangays of the province. As of 2015 census, the province has a total population of 212,680 which accounts for 12.35% of the total regional population. The newly created City of Tabuk remains to be the concentration of
population in the province with 52.02% which is more than half of the total population of the entire province. Aside from eco-tourism which showcases the numerous natural scenic sites and the rich heritage and culture of the locals, agricultural production is also one of the major economic drivers of Kalinga. This is supported by its evident rice culture and wide and fertile agricultural lands. The major crops which are rice, corn and coffee are mostly produced in Tabuk City, Rizal, Pinukpuk and lower barangays of Tanudan, given the relatively flat to rolling terrain of these municipalities. With the immense agricultural production and eco-tourism potentials of the province, gains from these economic drivers are not being fully maximized and obtained as it is being limited by inaccessibility or by the poor road conditions. Of the province’s total road length, only 28.16% of roads is concreted. Gravel roads accounts 40.08% of the total road length, followed by earth roads with 31.17% which includes barangay, municipal, and farm-to-market roads. Oftentimes, gravel and earth roads especially those roads leading to existing
and potential crop areas are extremely challenging, if not passable during rainy seasons. This road situation was true in Cabaritan-Dugpa Provincial Road and the LayaCabaruan-Sucbot-Magaogao Provincial Road prior to its improvement and upgrading; hence, agricultural products along these areas were remarkably difficult to transport for trading in the marketplaces in Tabuk City. Both roads which stretches from the City of Tabuk towards parts of the Municipality of Pinukpuk are core roads which had been identified as priority by the Provincial Government of Kalinga for improvement and upgrading. The improvement and upgrading of these roads were realized when the DILG and DBM granted funding for its implementation through the CMGP Program in 2017. The implementation of the CMGP Program greatly contributed to the concrete paving of major arterial national and provincial roads in the province. Former Provincial Governor Jocel Baac always shared in his message that ‘the road to development is the road itself,’ and with the continuous support of the National Government towards the improvement and upgrading of core roads, priority attention will also continuously be given to core roads leading to potential production areas and tourist destinations since these are the major economic drivers in the province. The Provincial Government of Kalinga affirms that with the CMGP Program, the aim for road network improvement towards 100% paved roads will no longer take too long to be reached.
“The road network improvement is very important in the development of our municipalities and the province as a whole. Before the road network improvements in the province, the farmers’ agricultural products were just left to rot and put to waste, if not sold to very low prices because of the difficulty of transporting these to the markets. The motivation of people to pursue farming or agriculture is low, they were discouraged because of small profits from cultivating their lands. It was heartbreaking to see their situation because they even had to pay double for the freight costs of their products due to the difficulty in transporting these from their areas. Their road conditions were very poor, and because of their far distance, vehicles were also rarely penetrating their areas. Now with the presence of the improved roads, it was observed that trading activities of agricultural products have become more dynamic. Some traders are now even seen reaching the farmers to buy their products on-site, instead of farmers bringing these to the marketplaces. There have been improvements in the
FLORDELIZA G. MOLDERO Provincial Planning and Development Coordinator Provincial Government of Kalinga
economic status in those areas. In communities where the roads have already been improved, the nipa houses are gradually being replaced by concrete structures, and some residents now even bought their own 4-wheeled vehicles or motorcycles. Teachers before say that they report to school using slippers, now they say that they can wear make-up and descent sandals, and school children can now wear their shoes going to classes. Participation rates have increased, as compared before as there were a lot of drop-outs because they could not bear the difficulty of traversing the muddy roads to the schools. Before, they had to take into consideration the time of walking going to school, and back home. With those observations, we can see the changes. There were even some areas which were identified as insurgent infiltrated barangays, where there is a problem of peace and order. These are the areas which are not reached by roads, thus, rare are
those who visit or access the areas. With the improved roads, they are now accessible, there are regular visits to the areas and there are services being brought like the conduct of medical mission. Road network is very important in development, not just in peace and order, but also during disasters where in terms of calamities and disasters, it is now easier to bring relief operations, unlike before that they can become isolated due to road closure caused by unstable slopes beside the unpaved roads. This CMGP is a very huge thing for us because in a year, we were able to access an assistance which is almost equivalent to our 1 year development fund. Thus, without the CMGP, it will really take us a longer time to realize our road network improvements. We are very thankful for having this opportunity as it is a great help for us to realize our goal to reach 100% of our provincial roads paved and in good condition.�
R eaching breakthroughs in the community’s status quo:
The story of Cabaruan’s dream come true through collaborative efforts and community participation
Cabaruan used to be a sitio of one of the barangays of Tabuk until it became a Barangay itself in 1969 due to increase in population. Going to and out of the barangay was difficult as it did not have any access roads. During the earlier times, the means of transporting goods was through carabaos as these were the only ones that could pass through the trail.
To ease the access a little in 1969, the men in the barangay started clearing the way to have at least a road wide enough for kalesas to pass through. The path was covered with gravel to prevent it from being muddy during rainy seasons. Still, it took long to be able to reach Dagupan, the nearest barangay where they can sell their goods and buy their supplies.
During the 1980s, when tricycles became the public transport in Tabuk, there were only a few drivers willing to travel to the barangay. People had to pay a pricey sum for the convenience of traveling through this mode. As the road was rough, tricycles could not easily traverse it and most of the time, the wheels would be stuck on the patches of the road.
Christina Lugao, 55, a resident, recalled that when they needed to attend special occasions in town, they would bring extra clothes with them and find a way to refresh and change when they reach town. Virgilio Ancheta, the Punong Barangay, shared that every Punong Barangay who has led the community tried
their very best to bring improvement to the road. The elders in the barangay had been meeting and strategizing on how to improve it. However, all these plans did not materialize due to lack of funds. It was not until year 2018 that the road in the barangay became easily passable. Punong Barangay Ancheta, and the punong barangays of nearby Laya West and Sucbot (Pinukpuk), planned to collaborate for the improvement of the road leading to their communities. PB Ancheta remembers an information that if they request for funds for improvement of the road, they will be able to acquire funding. Thus, they set off to work on the proposal and fortunately was granted the needed amount by the Department of Internal and Local Government (DILG) through the CMGP Program. PB Ancheta called for a consultation meeting with the residents to get their support for the improvement of the said road. The residents unanimously agreed to the improvement, and signified their willingness to donate portions of their lands for the road.
The residents expressed that the dream of having an improved and concreted road seemed too distant for them. Accordingly, some of the older residents who even worked in planning the road improvement have already passed away, not seeing the plan come true. However, those who initially agreed to donate and believed that there is hope to the present plan, helped in convincing the others to support the project for the improvement of their barangay. Eventually, they were able to get enough support to build their dream road.
Benefits in the community The improvement and upgrading of the road resulted not just convenience of travel for the residents but also an improvement of the status quo. It has opened opportunities not just to residents but also to people outside of the barangay since there are new businesses that have opened. There are already talipapas who sell different goods for the convenience of the residents. In addition, it is also easier for outside vendors to sell their goods in the area. There are rolling stores selling fish and meat products. Residents can now eat warm pandesal as vendors are able to sell early in the morning and reach the barangay while their goods are warm.
Travel time to Dagupan was cut short from 35-40 minutes to 15 minutes. They can now even travel to and from Dagupan through bicycle. Residents shared their observation that more people have also acquired motorcycles and tricycles. They pointed out that one of their neighbours who is not getting enough from his farming was able to buy a tricycle for public transport. It has served as additional income for him to support his eight children. To the farmers, the convenience of having improved road leading to the drying pavements has been a great help to them. In the olden days, when the road was still unpaved, farmers collect dried carabao dung and flatten it on the ground to serve as drying area for their rice bundles. Moreover, farmers have benefited greatly as there are no more delays in their planting calendar because of the easier and faster way in buying and bringing in supplies. Others were able to buy kuliglig to help them with their farming, as these farming equipment can now be brought to their farms after the road has been improved and concreted.
The upgrading of the road also provided ease of access for the improvement of waste disposal in the barangay. The barangay officials requested their wastes to be picked up by the garbage trucks of the city, and now these are being easily picked-up from them regularly. Like all other areas with ease of access, the barangay officials testified that it is now easier to transport people with medical emergencies. The ambulance from the hospital is also able to pick up patients in the barangay in no time. In addition, it is easier to evacuate the residents during disasters, and for police mobiles to respond or provide assistance in the barangay.
Project Title: Improvement and Upgrading of Laya-CabaruanSucbot-Magaogao Provincial Road Location: Tabuk City, Kalinga Project Cost: â‚ą99,491,555.00 Total Length: 8.25 Km Completion Date: March 15, 2018
Cabaruan, City of Tabuk, Kalinga
“The lives of people here before was very difficult because of our muddy and rocky pathways. It was especially hard to transport our farm products with this road condition since only carabao sleds could pass. “Now that the road is concreted, the lives of the people became better. There have been more jobs for people, and new livelihood was also created such as the tricycles offering transportation services. We are very much thankful of this project.”
VIRGILIO G. ANCHETA Punong Barangay/Farmer Cabaruan, City of Tabuk, Kalinga
One road: Diverse stories, different voices, single aspiration Life of villagers in Barangay Dugpa, Pinukpuk, Kalinga became so much easier because of the improvement and upgrading of the Cabaritan-Dugpa Provincial Road through the CMGP Program in 2017. This is vouched by Mr. Fidel Atisan, 50, a resident from the neighboring Barangay of Cabaritan, Tabuk City, who has been farming in Dugpa ever since his younger years. He aptly enumerated how the improved roads helped the residents in the village. “(Idi saan pay nga nasimpa ti kalsada) saan da piman makairuwar ti produkto da, agtubtubo piman.
Magmagna da nagadayu, awiten da ti bagas magapu Cabaritan ta ipan da Dugpa. Dagiti estudyante da (nagapo Tabuk) ket magmagna da inggana Barangay Dugpa. Tatta ta nalpas en ti kalsada dakkel piman ti pakairanudan ti tattao. Ta malpas da ag-harvest, mabalin nga sumrek ti buyer isunga adu ti gumaget nga tao tatta. [When the road was not yet improved, the people were not able to bring their products out of the village, the seeds would sprout. They walked very far distances, they carried rice (sacks) from Cabaritan to Dugpa. The students (coming from Tabuk) had to walk up going home to their village.
Now that the road is concreted, we benefited a lot from it. After harvest, buyers can now come to the village – this is why farmers here are encouraged to plant more.]”
The improved roads also stirred myriads of emotions from residents. Ms. Lolita Ismula, a resident of Sitio Lapat, Barangay Cabaritan shares how their mode of transportation has changed through time. She recalls that in the past, they initially used galusa – a half-
square-meter-box/cart with no wheels being pulled by a carabao. But after some time, the farmers started using karison, which is basically the same conveyance, only with wheels. Whereas the good old galusa can only carry up to maximum of two cavans of rice, the karison can carry up to ten sacks. But while galusa and karison were helpful, they were simply inadequate for the transportation needs of the people.
Cabaritan-Dugpa Provincial Road
There were times when some cars braved and tried to traverse the bad roads. Kagawad Rolando Jr. of the same barangay recounted how he and his fellow villagers used to pull cars that bogged down on the muddy road. “Nagrigat nga agguyod ti tali ti lugan. Adda pay idi diyay naigalis ket natinnag diyay lugan [It is not easy to pull a rope tied to a car. There was one time when a car slipped and fell down the ravine].” Meanwhile, Lolita described how their old thoroughfares would become muddy and slippery during rainy season, and rough and bumpy during summer season. For her, the improvement of the road is bittersweet. She recalls one woman in her village who got sick and it took sometime before she was brought to the hospital due to the bad road condition. “She passed away,” Lolita sighed. “Idi natay, ti pakasangitak inkabil da idyay church (ditoy) baba. Ita inaw-awit da manen diyay bangkay na nga insangsang -at (After she died, what made me cry was that they (can only) brought her to the church (along the road). (Other) People had to carry her remains by foot to bring her home in the upper part of the village],” she exclaimed. “But with the improved roads, even the health-seeking behaviors of the people changed,” she said.
LOLITA M. ISMULA Barangay Secretary/Farmer Cabaritan, City of Tabuk, Kalinga
“Dagiyay metten mothers nga aggapu ditoy barangay, ummay da ditoy health center nga agpabakuna, agpa-prenatal ta addan lugan. Isu nga maasistaran en dagidiyay pregnant women, pati dagidiyay ub-ubing ta regular gamin en ta adda ti service idtoy clinic [The mothers from the villages already go to the health center for vaccinations [and] go for prenatal check-ups because there is available transportation. Because of this, the pregnant women are assisted and the children get regular health service from the clinic because we now also have a service vehicle]. For both the residents and service providers in Kalinga, the CMGP Program is just the beginning of
the answer to their prayers. The residents also shared some funny anecdotes about how the residents maximize their new roads. “Uray adda national law wala naman kaming pavement, awan met ti pagbilagan mi so idiyay pay [We know there is law (that prohibits people from using roads as drying pavements) but we do not have pavements, we do not have drying areas, so we use them (roads) for now], Lolita added chuckling. Indeed, the be-all and end-all of providing roads is not simply to provide access but also to contribute to wellbeing and overall empowerment of the people.
Project Title: Improvement and Upgrading of Cabaritan-Dugpa Provincial Road Location: Municipality of Pinukpuk, Kalinga Project Cost: â‚ą73,950,512.99 Total Length: 6.80 Km Completion Date: August 16, 2018
Maximizing the Role of Roads for Agriculture and Tourism Industry
F
ormerly dubbed as “La Montañosa” by Spanish administrators for its mountainous terrain, Mountain Province lies in the heart of the Grand Cordillera, known to be the Philippine's biggest and highest chain of mountains. The province is bounded on the north by Kalinga, on the south by Benguet and Ifugao, on the east by Isabela, and on the west by Ilocos Sur and Abra. The province is geo-politically subdivided into 10 municipalities and 144 barangays. These 10 municipalities are Barlig, Bauko, Besao, Natonin, Paracelis, Sabangan, Sadanga, Sagada, Tadian, and Bontoc, the capital town. 2010 Census of Population shows that the province is the second least populated in the region following the Province of Apayao. There is a total of 154,187 inhabitants in the province during the censal year, equivalent to 9% of the total regional population.
Its total land area is 2,239.9 sq. km. The topography of the central and western province is characterized by
towering peaks and sharp ridges, while gradually sloping and rolling foothills are the general features of the eastern towns. The province has many rivers, waterfalls, mountains, and caves. The province is advocating eco-tourism as its OneTown-One-Product because of the wondrous tourist attractions bestowed to it. With the well-known Sagada caves and other tourist spots, the province maintains and continues to promote nature and cultural tourist attractions scattered in all the municipalities of the province. With the province’s cool climate as a comparative advantage, agriculture remains to be the dominant industry and source of employment and income of the populace with 87.2% of its labor force engaged in agriculture. Major crops include organic highland vegetables (white potatoes, carrots, root crops, and leafy vegetables), heirloom rice, sugar cane, and Arabica coffee produced in the western municipalities of the province. On the other hand, the eastern
municipalities of the province produces corn, rice, bananas, and Robusta coffee. Its fertile soils and temperate climate also make the place conducive for farming. However, for agricultural products to be brought to the market centers, they have to traverse farm-to-market roads, barangay/municipal/provincial and national roads. Because of the terrain, more roads need to be constructed to further improve access, transport, and both the internal and external circulation. There are still about 52% of gravel, earth, and asphalt roads in the province. This road condition greatly affects the lives of the people most especially farmer who are solely dependent on farming as their source of livelihood. Very minimal income is derived by the farmers since agricultural inputs and transport of products to the market are expensive. Poor roads also affect the promotion of the eco-tourism industry of the province. Locally, there are many tourist sites but are rarely visited due to poor road condition. The CMGP Program of the DILG and DBM has greatly contributed to the realization of the improvement of the local road networks of the province. Through the Program, the improvement and upgrading of the Sinto-Pactil-Boga Road in Bauko, and the Poblacion-Aba-Bacarri Provincial Road in Paracelis. The improvement of roads was made
possible in 2017 to primarily help support the economic activities relative to agriculture in these areas. These two core provincial roads were among the identified roads for development to support the highland vegetable production in Bauko, and the corn, rice and banana production in Paracelis which are coming out to be the major enterprises which support local economy. Road network plays an important role in socio-economic development because it serves as an entrance and exit to and from a locality. Generally, improved road provides safety, comfort and convenience to the commuters. This is apart from the benefits that it provides to the farming communities such as increase in agricultural production, reduction of post-harvest losses, decrease in travel time. Likewise, good roads coupled with necessary amenities decreases road-related accidents and can be a come-on for tourists. The Provincial Government of Mountain Province aims to support these two major economic drivers in the province – agriculture and tourism industry sectors, with the goals to equitably increase income of all stakeholders/value chain players. With the assistance of the DILG and DBM’s CMGP Program for the improvement of core road networks, continuous benefits are expected for each player in the chain or segment of the province’s agricultural sector and tourism industry.
Better Social Services, Better Life Choices The Story of Bacarri, Paracelis, Mountain Province
Thomas Simangon, 48, born and raised in Bacarri, Paracelis, Mountain Province where he is currently serving as Punong Barangay, tells how their lives have changed since the road to their barangay has been improved and upgraded. He is a living eyewitness on how the concreting of their road has made their village and the lives of people better. He remembers how, as a boy, he would walk for more than two hours from their house to the town center where their school was located. “Before, when the roads were not yet cemented, it was really difficult, rough, muddy, it was tough especially during rainy seasons,” he said. Another resident and a member of the Sangguniang Barangay, Gina Gonayon, agreed to Simangon. “Maipaguyod iti nuwang dagidiay produkto mi aginggana dumanun idiay ayan ti lugan (We used carabao sleds to carry our products to the nearest road where vehicles can reach),” she said referring to the traditional garosa or patuki where a makeshift carriage is attached to the carabao which then pulls the conveyance.
Both Simangon and Gonayon celebrate their improved road which has been made possible through the CMGP Program of the DILG and DBM, saying that this has made their lives more convenient and opened up a lot of opportunities especially to the farmers. They said that they save a lot of time and other resources because of the improvement of the road, where before, they used to travel for almost the whole day to nearby Tabuk town of Kalinga. Now, the travel time is just an hour. Where small children used to trek for half a day to the nearest school, now they use their own motorcycles and get to the school in no time. Where the corn
“The people have been waiting for this (road) for a long time, they are happy that it has come finally.” grains used to sprout and did not get to the market on time, now the people are more mobile and sell their corn to the buyers they prefer. Roads are empowering farmers to make their own decisions and choices The farmers of Bacarri shared that there were many instances in the past when their corn grains were bought at very low price, as low as Php 5.00 per kilo because the grains were considered reject. The buyers categorize the “spotted” corns (corns that were dried but were not sold immediately, hence they gathered molds) as reject, and subsequently lower the price. The farmers, having no other option would accept whatever price the buyers would command. But even that has changed since the roads were improved. According to Gonayon, the farmers are now able to choose where to sell their corn according to the prevailing prices. For instance, if the buying price in Sta. Maria, Alfonso Lista is higher than in Tabuk, then they bring their corn to Sta. Maria, or vice versa. It should be noted too that Paracelis is strategically located in the triboundary of Isabela, Ifugao and Kalinga. Hence, the improvement of road networks has broadened choices of farmers
Poblacion-Aba-Bacarri Provincial Road
when marketing their produce and has also opened up a more regular trading between the farmers of Bacarri and external merchants. “Adu umay nga dayo nga aglako ditoy ayan mi ta mayaten ti dalan, naggapo da pay diay Santiago [Many external traders come to sell stuff here because the road has improved; many of these traders even come from Santiago (Isabela)]. Before, the farmers would carry all their bananas to the nearest buyer. But with the concreting of roads, the banana buyers go directly to the farmers. This saves the farmers time, money and effort in marketing their products. The road has improved access to social services
“Idi awan pay ti lugan, diay binnulig, inassiw ti ikasta mi mangbagkat ti pasyente (When there were no cars yet, we would carry sick people).” Bulig or assiw are the traditional way of transporting the sick in Bacarri where they tie a blanket on a bamboo and men will take turn in carrying it. With the improvement of the road, people can call for either an ambulance or a car and the sick are transported easier to the nearest health facility. It is also easier for health care providers to come to the community. Even barangay officials said that the roads helped them in serving their constituencies better. Better road helps them disseminate information faster and render help or assistance during disaster response. Indeed, better roads do not just get you to your destination – they also help improve lives. When asked whether this is true in Bacarri, the beneficiaries answered, “Yes, of course 100%!”
Project Title: Improvement and Upgrading of Poblacion-Aba-Bacarri Provincial Road Location: Municipality of Paracelis, Mountain Province Project Cost: ₱69,994,505.89 Total Length: 3.99 Km Completion Date: July 6, 2019
“The state of our road back then was very bad and it was really difficult. This road is a shortcut from our barangay to Poblacion. We attended school in Poblacion back when we were young and from elementary to high school, we had to walk along this road which became muddy and slippery when it rains. “The improvement and concreting of the road brought great improvement to our living condition here in Bacarri. At least for those with businesses and farmers, their products can now be easily shipped.
“Rain or shine, we can now go to Poblacion because the road is good now. We can easily send patients to the hospitals during emergency cases with the use of vehicles, unlike before where we had to carry them using improvised hammocks. The roads also made communication and responding to disasters quicker.”
THOMAS G. SIMANGON Punong Barangay Bacarri, Paracelis, Mountain Province
The Road to Development is the Road Itself “On the top of the world.” Santos Beteng-an, a Barangay Kagawad of Monamon Sur, Bauko, Mountain Province said that they are on the ‘top of the world’ because of the newly concreted roads. “Naragsak da, permi di ragsak da. Tan kasasadot di yat ay man biag no maga di kalsa wenno uray way kalsa no adi mausar. Ngem no kaman nina ay nasamento nan kalsa, ay permi adi naragsak nan umili (They are happy, overly happy. Life has been difficult without roads, or even if roads are present but they are unusable. But with the roads cemented now, the people certainly are really very happy),” he voiced out. And why would they not? Santos went to share that prior to the road improvement and concreting, they either had to manually haul their vegetable produce or pay substantial amount of money for the komboys (people who carry vegetables) to the nearest part of road which could be reached by vehicles. The farther
the gardens from the vehicle, the more expensive they have to pay – as much as 1 to 2 pesos per kilo. The time the famers spend in bringing their vegetables to the nearest transportation and eventually to the traders have been significantly decreased, now that the road has been improved. Berto Andres, a resident of Barangay Monamon Sur, said that, “idi lubak paylang ti kalsada, diay lugan idi 6x6 nga ada ti wings na ket maala na ti 2-3days santo sumangpet idiay highway. Tatta ket mabibiit, adda 40 minutes, 30 minutes dumanon ka idiay highway (when the road was still muddy, the 6X6 trucks with wings take 2-3 days before they could bring the vegetables to the highway. Now, it only takes 40 or 30 minutes). Santos added that a lot of things changed to better because of the improved roads, not only for vegetable farmers. Like other isolated areas in the Cordilleras, the good roads also mean
Sinto-Pactil-Boga Provincial Road
a lot in terms of better quality of life and health. Santos reminisced how hard it was for them to transport sick people to the nearest road where vehicles can reach, and to the nearest hospital. According to him, it has been so much easier for them now that the road is concreted and naitutok sin babbaey (came near the houses). Roads and Cultures According to OIC-Provincial Planning and Development Coordinator, Ms. Concepcion P. Wangdali, the municipalities of Bauko and Paracelis were prioritized for the program because these are both agricultural areas of the province which are needing urgent support.
While beneficiaries and service providers are pleased of the results, it does not mean that the program did not undergo some initial challenges. According to the Provincial Engineering Office, there are certain standards of the program that need readjustment for mountainous areas such as Bauko. Mr. Edward B. Likigan, the Provincial Engineer, cited that the 6.1 meters width and shoulders of 1-meter each, which would be 8.1 meters in total, is going to be very wide. “The entire mountain might collapse if we strictly follow the measurements in our context,” he explained. The PEO also shared that there are cultural practices that should be taken into consideration when implementing projects in indigenous peoples’
Project Title: Improvement/Upgrading of Sinto-Pactil-Boga Provincial Road Location: Municipality of Bauko, Mountain Province Project Cost: ₱78,984,089.59 Total Length: 4.62 Km Completion Date: April 29, 2019
areas. For instance, schedules may need to be extended when there are community rituals (such as tengaw or community holiday) or when a community member dies. Where the road starts, development begins Meanwhile, good roads do not just make the lives of farmers easier. The improvement of the roads also contributed to other aspects of their lives such as improved housing. Mr. Andres said, “saan nga kasla idi adi ay inatep ay kogon. Adi ud maka-ali nan semento, adi maka-ali nan darat, nan hollow blocks (before, the roofs of houses are made of cogon. Its because it was difficult to transport cement, sand and hollow blocks). It is important to note that while the improved roads benefit everyone in the community, different groups of people have distinct experiences and stories
of how the better roads have benefitted them. The women farmers who travel daily to their farms are now more comfortable, not needing to use their heavy boots because the roads are safer. The children and youth do not get wet from puddles and mud during rainy season when going to school. The teenagers who are able to drive motorcycles have easier access to school because the roads became better. The small enterprises became more alive and profitable because they can sell their products to people who are unable to go to town. Even the senior citizens are now able to move more freely because of the concreted roads. Now, they can easily ride if they want to visit Abatan in Buguias, Benguet or in Bauko where shopping centers are located. And the positive stories go on and on.
EDUARDO D. AWASEN Punong Barangay/Farmer Mount Data, Bauko, Mountain Province
“Our main livelihood here is vegetable farming, and with the better roads, we can now bring in farm implements and transport our harvests even during times of bad weather. The number of service vehicles increased, and our roads are now passable even during the rainy seasons. Life of farmers here became much easier than before. The improvement of the roads greatly helps in the progress of the community — not just of individuals, but families.”
“Many are happy. It is not easy to mention (everything the road has done to us), but we, the community residents, are really pleased that the roads were improved.”
CRISANTO ‘SANTOS’ BATENG-AN Barangay Kagawad/Farmer Monamon Sur, Bauko, Mountain Province
Conditional Matching Grant to Provinces for Road and Bridge Repair, Rehabilitation, and Improvement
Cordillera Administrative Region ALL RIGHTS RESERVED