Leaflets dropped from choppers gather mixed reactions from Sagada folks

By Gina Dizon

SAGADA, MOUNTAIN PROVINCE – “Waay sha san ited presidente ay sag P5,000.00” (Maybe that is the P5,000 the President (Duterte) shall distribute to the people.”)  

“Reinforcement ngen di Army sa.” (Maybe that’s reinforcement by the Armed Forces of the Philippines)

“Ay relief goods ngen iyali da?” (Are they bringing relief goods?)

These are some of the reactions of residents here from this tourist town on the dropping of anti- new people’s army (NPA)- communist party of the Philippines (CPP)- national democratic front (NDF) propaganda material folded in plastic with a candy weight from two helicopters on April 12.

Contents of said leaflet assured people of assistance that government provides at this time of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) for affected and poor families due Covid-19.

Believed to be flown by elements from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)/Philippine National Police (PNP), two helicopters hovered over this town here late morning of Easter Sunday disturbing the residents with repeated whirrs and leaving cellophane-wrapped flyers on yards, rooftops, trees, mountains, rivers and streets.

Whirrs of helicopters bring mixed reactions among residents here in this small town ever since it was visited by choppers in the ‘70s till now.

Choppers coming here in the ‘70s are a joy and an excitement among children who rushed on grounds where the helicopter has landed. 

In different periods of the previous years though, scared residents of the ‘80s and 90’s are witness to the dropping of bombs along with the hovering of AFP choppers in their anti-insurgency drives that led to the establishment of a peace zone in 1993.

Choppers also meant the coming of former president Gloria Arroyo in the early years of 2000. Arroyo was often a visitor of Sagada which led to the making of the state of the nation (SONA) projects in the north including the rehabilitation of the Dantay-Sagada Road.     

Choppers in the recent tourism years when tourism boomed in the 2010 upwards meant rich people from Manila as the Ayalas’ coming here as tourists.
Choppers in the recent Easter Day are a propaganda thing. 

The militant Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) in their statement considers the incident a “waste of peoples’ money amid lack of economic assistance during the pandemic.”

In this period of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), government assistance comes in a P200 billion cash and non-cash social amelioration program (SAP) for 18 million Filipinos out of the country’s 104 million population.

Government assistance programs are Covid adjustment measures program (CAMP) for  affected formal employees  and Tulong pangkabuhayan sa ating displaced and disadvantaged (TUPAD) workers administered by the department of labor and employment (DOLE); P5,000 financial aid and P25,000 loan for  farmers in the Department of Agriculture’s  Survival and Recovery Assistance (SURE) program; loans to entrepreneurs by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)’s Enterprise Rehabilitation Financing facility under the Pondo sa Pagbabago at Pag-asenso;  and P5,000-P8,000 cash assistance and food relief by  the department of social welfare and development (DSWD).

The DSWD  is currently distributing the P5,000 to P8,000 amelioration subsidy to affected and poor families at this ECQ period while others have not yet availed of the amount with others complaining of not being qualified as beneficiary. 

In some parts of the country, the distribution of food relief has also received complaints of some not having reached them while others were given.

             Netizens in their Facebook posts also expressed their disgust on the helicopters dropping the leaflets as a waste of public funds. 

Sagada resident Gwen Gaongen said, “wishful thinking ay relief ya PPE nan inyali da wenno at least informative sheets tet ew isnan ikkan di ipugaw ay maka avail sinan government support idwani ay quarantine. Expensive propaganda moves when many have nothing to eat” (wishful thinking that relief and protective equipment (PPE) are what they have brought or at least informative sheets on how to avail of government support during this quarantine period).

Sagada resident Botbotanmel Abad said, “... Kanan mi pay no kaisagutan nan inbaban da tosa. Aneyna..... ado kasapulan id waniy panawen. Baken papel ay para ilo. (...We thought it’s something helpful that they have brought us. Unfortunately, there’s much needed these days. Not that sheet of paper good for toilet paper.)

CPA chairperson Windel Bolinget who also comes from Sagada asked, “among other expenses, how much was spent for the aviation fuel consumed by two helicopters for more than an hour?”

            “These should have been useful if used for relief operations urgently needed by the people in this time of lockdown and difficulty” Bolinget added.

Beverly Longid who comes from Sagada and currently works with the International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self Determination and Liberation  said, “….At this time of the pandemic, funds should prioritize public health, purchase of much-needed PPEs for frontlines, relief and economic aid for those in need. Accordingly, HUEY UH1J Utility choppers as seen here would spend PhP110k per hour airborne. The government wasted at least PhP200K exclusive the printing of the black propaganda, the plastic wrapping and candies used as package weight. The amount could also be used to augment the SAP funds.”

The AFP has a budget of P192 billion for 2020 and the “PNP of P187 billion to include in its budget items anti-insurgency operations. 

Others are apprehensive of the leaflets dropped from the choppers.

Sagada resident  Carmen Gayyad in her Facebook post said “Ay ta sat pai infected is covid 19 nan flyers ya candies ay sana da?.... Ay xa et sa, maawawni daida nan mangidateng c covid 19 cna community tako. (what if those flyers and candies were infected with covid-19?... Its dreadful to think that they might be the ones to bring covid-19 in our community.)

While others demand that those responsible be made accountable. 
Netizen Felipe Mendoza de Leon said,” the officers and soldiers responsible for this illegal activity should be investigated and prosecuted for the terrible waste of resources and act of terrorizing the peaceful communities of Sagada.”

This writer comments violation of free prior and informed consent (FPIC) with the helicopters having entered the areal territory of Sagada without prior consent; and a violation of one’s rights and invasion to personal property having dropped candies on private yards and rooftops.

Said flyers warned the people not to receive relief goods and donations from groups that they allege to be members of the CPP-NPA.

Earlier, the CPA a militant organization composed of a number of people’s organizations wit other activist groups and individuals distributed relief goods in some communities of Baguio, La Trinidad and Benguet some days ago. 

Sagada resident Steven Edward Rogers said in his Facebook post, “What's being prevented? All this does is antagonize people. Why spend all that money flying helicopters when local police could easily distribute flyers? The timing is really poor. I don't think they are winning any hearts and minds with that. More the opposite. If they want to get people to trust the government they need performance, not propaganda.”

Meantime, Sagada resident  Dom-an Macagne  was emphatic about "not dropping propaganda materials from the sky on Easter Sunday." 

CSOs increase participation in government’s decision making

BONTOC- Mountain Province civil society organizations (CSO) ad hoc council talk about all CSOs- peoples organizations (POs), non -government organizations (NGOs), professional groups, business, cooperatives, accredited or not and operating in Mountain Province (barangay, municipal and province) - help each other bring their concerns to government during the CSO accreditation conference conducted by the department of interior and local government  (DILG) and provincial planning and development office (PPDO) last August 7. In photo are Donald Mapangdol (MPACG), Lynn Madalang ( Ebgan) Pachie Marcial Marcs Castaneda (CROMV) Valentin Marcelo (LHMRH), Ben Pladio (MOPRECO), Leonardo Manangdang (PICE) Alma Toyoken (Tanggew), Jacinto Yassan (MPPSTEA) Roseann Wangdali ( MWA), Mary Tudlong (ECW) and Gina Dizon (MPCI). One major concern is their participation in special bodies -local school board, local health board, development council and peace and order council- in government.

By Gina Dizon

Civil society organizations definitely have a tremendous significance in making better communities precisely because they are personally and organizationally moved with their noble purposes and mission for the common good,  and much more as they are not being paid by government.

With their separate sectoral aims and objectives, CSOs contributed and still contributing  in shaping government as to how it is. It is significant to note how the chamber of commerce influences business and how it is run in the country.  And so with the many cooperatives spread out in the country.  

And so with social activist people’s organizations and non-government organizations as the Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) and  Kilusang Magbubukid somehow influenced the creation of   government agencies including the national commission on indigenous peoples (NCIP) on the struggle for indigenous people’s rights and the department of agrarian reform (DAR) due to farmers’ struggle for agrarian reform on land distribution.

And too, with strong organized people’s movements for increase of salaries for government workers including the Association of Concerned Teachers (ACT) and  the confederation for unity recognition and advancement of government employees (COURAGE); and private workers through their respective unions.  Though they suffer from labelling and vilification, their efforts were not and are not in vain.

Unsung heroes as we still note, most CSOs remained to be behind the scenes, unrecognized by government and award giving institutions but helped anyway through significant ways  the people know. It cannot be denied that with strong organized people’s movements, their noble aspirations were and are translated into strong democratic institutions people now enjoy.

For one, former CPA chairman and former Mountain Province board member  Fr Eduardo Solang along with other social activists then rallied and lobbied for a Cordillera regional autonomous government for the Cordillera to freely enjoy  its political, economic, and social self-determination as a people and as a region in the 1980s. That, somehow led to the inclusion of the provision on the creation of an autonomous region for the Cordillera in the 1987 Philippine Constitution which is now being pursued by government since 1989 when it was first presented for a plebiscite.   

People with their banded collectivities and noble aspirations have throughout Philippine history, moved significantly with or without the help of government though some laws as the local government code of 1991 provided for their participation in decision making in government.

Now, the government is seriously considering CSO participation in governance with the passing of Memorandum Circular 2019-72 by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).

Much as CSO participation was already there in the 1991 local government code and CSO participation not that impressive in the previous 20 years in government’s special bodies,  DILGs MC 2019-72 comes raring with a better perspective of how CSOs shall participate in government.  

This from the local government code of 1991 providing for the establishment of people’s organizations, non-government organizations, and the private sector to make them active partners in the pursuit of local autonomy, and to directly involve them in the plans, programs, projects, or activities of the local government.

Said MC 2019-72, states, ”good governance is vital in the pursuit of excellence in public administration and development. This Department  (DILG)  recognizes that in forming a sustainable foundation of  good governance , it is not enough to concentrate on developing the internal capacity of local governments  It is equally important to develop  and strengthen partnership  with COS in order to empower citizens  to articulate their  needs as they participate in the decision making process, program planning, implementation and monitoring  at the local label which can increase the responsiveness and  efficiency of local governments in delivering  services.”

CSOs include the NGOs, POs, cooperatives, business and professional groups.

Expanded provisions are found in MC2019-72 favorable to CSOs increasing their membership in the special bodies based on existing laws. Said circular provides for representatives of non-governmental organization shall constitute not less than one fourth (1/4)  and  increased to one half (1/2) of the membership of the organized local development council.

Membership in the local development council must represent the women sector at least 40% of the fully organized council shall be composed of women as prescribed by RA 9710 or the Magna Carta of Women. 

Membership of indigenous peoples as per the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act  (IPRA) and farmers as per the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act  (AFMA) also involve the inclusion of said sectoral representatives.

In said circular based on the local government code of 1991, respective CSO representatives shall be members of the local school board, local health board and three CSO  representatives in the peace and order council.  

As per schedule based on said circular, CSOs are supposed to apply for accreditation in their respective  sangguniang bodies by the third week of  August,  have already been accredited by their respective sangguniang local bodies by the last week of August and their selection to special bodies on the first to second  week of September.

(This article also appeared in the Mountain Province Exponent, August 11, 2019 issue)

Sagada-Dantay proposed diversion road threatened of Karst topography effects

SAGADA, MOUNTAIN PROVINCE – The heavily opposed  controversial diversion road here at the borders of the Mission Compound takes a new argument  in favor of opposing petitioners.

“Sagada being underlain by Karst topography may well indicate that the Mission Compound  is relatively fragile for major infrastructural development.”

Mining engineer and  St Mary’s School alumnus Jerry  Abeya  in his letter to  Bishop Brent Alawas of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Philippines (EDNP)  has this to say regarding the opposed proposed diversion road projected to be built from the Poblacion terminal joining the Dantay-Sagada National Road at the Daoangan section.

Proposed 700 meter road follows a creek along Deccan to Sayocsoc sitios  and moves upward below Saint Mary’s School to the borders of private lots and residences of  Daoangan.

Above the Deccan-Sayocsoc creek is  a sloping area with the softball ground above and the other side of  residences built along the opposite slope on to the main road.

While  on proposal stage before the Regional Development Council for  funding endorsement, petitioners  of nearly 300 signatories of  Sagada based overseas and nearly 500 signatories from homeland Sagada opposing said proposed diversion road ask congressman  Maximo Dalog to withdraw his endorsement and support building of  parking spaces instead.

The tourist town of Sagada incurs heavy traffic jams during weekends of holidays when influx of tourists visit the community which boasts of natural beauty spots such as Sumaguing Cave, rice terraces, Bumod-ok and Pongas Falls. 

The comment of Abeya posted in Save Sagada Facebook Group  was supported by mining engineer and geologist  George Tauli who told Abeya, ”you are very right that Sagada is in atop a Karst topography (limestone rocks) so we see all around sinkholes with the most prominent at Kiltepan. Therefore the rocks are very porous and with sinkholes, here and there, that you will never know when to encounter them. In case you intersect one, you cannot imagine how many bags of cement or concrete are needed to fill them up".

"There were instances in recent news around the world that sinkholes swallowed whole buildings and cars along a highway in separate incidents....", Tauli added.

Abeya proposes “a thorough study to be first undertaken by a geology expert to determine any risks a major road could pose to Sagada’s Karst topography in the Mission Compound” while challenging the Episcopal Church in the Philippines (ECP) and the government “to determine in totality if the proposed new diversion road shall strike a harmony between economic development and environment.”

Addressing the Bishop and the Standing Committee who endorsed said road to address traffic issues, Abeya  forwarded that “there should be no rush in constructing a major concrete road that could potentially permanently damage the landscape.”

The petitioning public also asked Bishop Alawas to cancel the  Permit to Enter  signed by him and witnessed  by the Barangay Chairman of Patay Poblacion,  the Standing Committee, and  Department of  Public Works and  Highways (DPWH)  representative to enter, conduct and undertake, survey and occupy   and do other construction activities in connection  to the building  of proposed diversion road.   

Opposing Sagadians and parishioners of  the Church of St Mary the Virgin would like the Mission Compound to stay as is and are wary of proposed diversion road posing  threats of destroying the green belt,  indiscriminate waste disposal, and destruction of a heritage site established a hundred years ago. ( Mountain Province Exponent, May 10, 2015) 

2 BUB farm to market roads up for probe

SAGADA, MOUNTAIN PROVINCE- Two  farm to market roads here under the Bottom up Budgetting (BUB) for  investigation reached focal person for Mountain Province Lynn Madalang.

Questions on status of implementation and process on project identification were asked by petitioners on farm to market roads  Ato-Engan located at Patay Poblacion  and Canipawan-Mabbay implemented by the  Sagada local government.

Some 15 farmers and residents here questioned alleged double funding of  P350,000  for the Canipawan –Mabbay farm to market road and a P350,000 for Ato- Engan Patay FMR  sourced from the 2013 BUB  listed projects allotted for said  roads.

Left with no riprap constructed , the residential house above donated
portion of the road is prone to landslide

An initial P3.5 million programmed  for the Canipawan-Mabbay  FMR  was sourced from a  P10 million pesos reportedly realigned  from the 15 million peso Pamana funds supposedly for  the Madongo-Tanulong FMR.

Also, the amount of  P3.5 million  was  allotted for the Ato-Engan FMR with funds sourced from the same ‘realigned’ 10 million peso Pamana funds earlier budgeted for the P15 million Tanulong-Madongo FMR. 

A P1.3 million was again programmed for the Ato-Engan FMR from the 2014 BUB listed funded projects. 

The  10 million peso fund  realigned from the P15 million Tanulong-Madongo  FMR sourced from Pamana funds in 2013-2014  was programmed for  Anga-ang – Angtin  Madongo FMR at  P3.5 million, Canipawan-Mabaay  FMR at P3.5 million, and Ato-Engan  FMR  at P3 million nd bidded out by the Department of Agriculture in 2013.

The owner of the donated lot complains why no steps
were constructed to add to the uncoontinued parapet.  

The  petitioners ask where the P350,000 BUB listed fund was worked on and the P3.5 million at the same Canipawan-Mabbay FMR project.

FMR  implementors don't care if  rain will
splatter down  the premises of residential house nearby 

Petitioners also asked where  the  P350,000 and P1.3 million BUB listed fund worked on at the same Ato-Engan FMR where the realigned P3.5 million PAMANA fund was allotted for.

Identification of said projects was asked how  the BUB listed projects were picked out  when other  Civil Society Organizations  (CSOs) have their respective income generating proposals to answer intentions of the BUB mechanism to address poverty alleviation and job generation.

Petitioners  ask  that the projects be investigated suggesting substandard work with cracks on the already implemented Ato-Engan FMR.

Obviously substandard work with buttered add-on cement
and uneven  pavement

No railings

BUB  listed projects  are financed by various agencies depending on what project it is. Roads, pathways and waterworks   are financed by the  Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG),  school-based  projects by the Department of  Education (DEpED),  skills trainings by the  Technical  Skills  Development  Authority (TESDA),   communal  irrigation systems l by the  Department of Agriculture,  tourism related  projects by the  Department of Tourism (DOT), and micro enterprise projects by the Department of  Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)

BUB  ensures funding for the development needs of localities in the budget proposals of participating national government agencies; and the process of project identification involving representatives from the  government and CSOs.

The once beautiful fence was destroyed and interlinks
unrestored to the ire of the owner who complained to the implementing
Department of Agriculture and Local Government Unit of Sagada. 

The process intends to provide funding for projects to provide basic social services,  mitigate hunger, generate jobs, and disaster preparedness.

Lousy drainage. Water shall get pooled here
for whatever purpose 

Projects not allowed under the  BUB listing as contained in the 2015 guidelines are those below 500,000 pesos  as these  can be proposed as LGU  implemented projects,  expansion of Pantawid Pamilya Program, housing Projects, materials recovery facility and landfills, vaccination and  health insurance programs, construction of new school buildings and classrooms nd clinics, farm-to-market roads, construction of municipal halls and  training centers, and purchase of motor vehicles.

Earlier guidelines did not identify  farm to markets roads as unallowed projects. The 2015 guidelines specially identified  FMR as not allowed  projects as these are too costly for the limited  funds under BUB listing. ( April 5, 2015 Mountain Province Exponent)

Sagada mayor and tourism officer charged for graft and unethical acts

SAGADA, MOUNTAIN PROVINCE - Sagada Mayor Eduardo Latawan and tourism officer Robert Pangod, former executive secretary of Latawan were charged for alleged graft practices, abuse of authority and violation of the code of conduct for public officials and employees. 

In a complaint filed at the Office of the Ombudsman by private citizen Grace Bandoy, complainant alleged that Latawan and Pangod conniving with each other, entered into a contract of service with a certain Mary Ann Wallang for the latter
to prepare and submit 10 proposals for the Cordillera Highland Agricultural Resources Management Project (CHARMP) in early 2012. 

Said complainant forwarded that a cheque was issued in the name of Mary Ann Wallang in the amount of P50,000 by the local government unit of Sagada purportedly as payment for the CHARMP project proposals she supposedly submitted. 

A letter of retraction however noted that Wallang has not authored said CHARMP project proposals.

Said complaint further asked the Ombudsman to order Latawan, Pangod and CHARMP through Department of Agriculture director Marilyn Catalina to produce said project proposals.

Meantime, Pangod is the subject of an investigation by the Civil Service Commission for claiming he is a college graduate of Baguio Central University but negated by a BCU certification dated May 2014 that he is not. Pangod was appointed as municipal tourism officer in 2014. (Mountain Province Exponent, January 11, 2015)

Revisiting the Dantay-Sagada road and calls to probe road works

By Gina Dizon

SAGADA, MOUNTAIN PROVINCE -Cracks along the pavement including scaling and ugly manicures on sections of the rehabilitated works along the multi-million Dantay-Sagada road projects surely explains the reason why no certificate of  acceptance has yet been given by the  Department of Public Works and Highways to repairs done by BMK/ETLatawan, KVC and BLC Construction on their respective road work contracts along this stretch of the national road. And so I came to know from Mountain Province Engineering District Office(MPDEO) district Engr Charles Sokoken.

Otherwise face  consequences of being blacklisted from the roll of registered contractors entitled to bid and be awarded contract projects under the DPWH, said contractors having received directions from the  DPWH have to do remove and replace works within their contract budget or as circumstances  warrant, do correction measures at their own personal expense.

Unless there is a strong convincing reason such as a natural cause that what is defective is not within the contractor’s liability to correct the defect, and it is interesting to know if there is and what is the cause. If there is.  

In the light of this road scenario, concerned citizens wrote a letter to  DPWH Secretary  Rogelio Singson to do an investigation on the multi-million road project  implemented since 2010. 

Glaring  cracks visible along the road just above sitio Dantay are seen on the P48 million road project done by  BMK/ETLatawan who did the road works in 2010 and completed in 2012. Its nearly five years  the given  warranty period and BMK/ETLatawan  is not moving an inch to correct the  defects.  Just pass by this road and see ugly sights including what seems to be buttered black asphalt to correct what is seemingly defective.

So the DPWH and the Department of Tourism  want  to build good, quality roads with international  flavor to be met by contractors who do defective  work  like what is obviously seen along the Dantay-Sagada road. How else can you explain those cracks unless an expert will say that is the work  of the Unseen or a natural cause.

It would note-worthy to  be reminded of the very beginnings of this road in the early 1900s when  American missionary  Engr John Staunton built what then served as the main road to let the riding public  get their way to Sagada where locates the Anglican church  called Church of St Mary the Virgin located in the center of the town. So in recognizance of his pioneering work, the Sanggunian Bayan of Sagada in 2005 passed a resolution which eventually led to the naming of the  national road as Rev. John Staunton road.

Sagada since then became a prime tourist destination, a shangrila of the north visited by backpacker- Caucasians   in the 70s on to the 80s and now frequented by droves of local tourists from Manila and other lowland areas of  the country in the 90s on to the present to get a feel of what is Sagada including its cool air and rich eco-cultural endowments.

Their entrance to this shangrila of the north is none other than through the rugged Dantay-Sagada road  known for its winding and dusty conditions especially during summer season.

The state of the  rugged road since then became rugged as what everyone has experienced, commuters covering their  noses and their  faces from dust that flies to the very insides of busses and  passenger jeeps.

The road remained un-cemented for quite a long period of time  except for  some asphalting in different times of the year before concreting and widening was done in 2010.

Like how funds are finally budgeted and programmed, this goes through pressures of resolutions and lobbying.

Regular funds from the  DPWH went to the improvement of the road  with resolutions from the previous members of the Sangguniang Bayan of  Sagada in 2011 led by former vice mayor Richard Yodong and a joint resolution from the  SB of Sagada and Besao following the unfortunate incident of the  death of Pastor Victor Batcagan and four others in a vehicular accident in 2009. The resolution was then directed to the office of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to release funds for the rehabilitation of said road.

An earlier 20  million peso fund was given by  Bayan Muna plus 2 million from the priority development assistance funds of Senator Francis Pangilinan in 2005  that rehabilitated a 2 kilometer stretch  from sitio Mabbay on to Poblacion terminal.  Remove and replace instructions have  been monitored with the contractor conscious  enough to implement the necessary R and R measures.

Earlier endorsement for the way to be a national road from  regional director of the department of tourism director Purificacion Molintas eventually led to the passage of  Department Order No. 20 issued by former DPWH Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr  stating the Dantay-Sagada road is a vital access road to boost the tourism industry of Sagada. So too with the endorsement of the Cordillera Regional Development Council and former Presidential Assistant for Cordillera Affairs Thomas Killip.

And the rest is history with former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo having declared Dantay Sagada Road as a national road during her visit in Sagada in 2008 with some pronouncement of fund support in what led to the initial concreting at the Dantay junction.

From thence,  initial  funds from the regular budget of the DPWH have been poured starting with the  P48 million implemented by  BMK/Latawan followed by P32 million  implemented by  BMK Construction winning the project by a P28 million bid.

A total of  P181 million have already been  programmed and contracted out to cover a 9 kilometer section of the total 13 kilometer Dantay-Sagada road since 2010 to companies namely BMK/ETLatawan, Tarlac-based BMK, Benguet-based KVC, and Baguio-based BLC.

The P7 million  construction of a gabion at the watery curve near Dapdapanan sitio is being done by KVC construction  following a P5 million initial work. The existing work is seemingly waiting for another round of project  funds having stopped momentarily. How this when- will- it- be- finished-contract  shall be finished is a question inviting  anti-corruption  advocates to know if there is something fishy in the road work implementation.

A P7 million peso rehabilitation project is currently being worked on by Bentrix construction involving the blasting of limestone rocks along the road in Antadao covered by a certificate of non coverage (CNC) issued by the regional Environment and Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The Dantay-Sagada road has unfortunate stories of its own having claimed lives  which either may be  due to faulty breaks or road conditions in the previous years.

The latest is the driver of  Mayor Eduardo Latawan who died when the car rolled down the banks of the Chico river during the time when the road was being rehabilitated  by BMK/ETLatawan Construction sometime in 2011.

Pastor Victor Batcagan and his family were on their way to Sagada last Oct. 31,2009 when their jeep fell down the road killing five persons and injuring 11 others.

Nine passengers of a Besao-Bontoc jeepney died and nine others were injured when the vehicle plunged down a 50-foot ravine along the road at Sitio Pegeo in November 2007.

The driver of the ill-fated jeepney tried to maneuver the vehicle off the very narrow portion of the road while on an uphill climb when it fell down the ravine.

In the same year, engineer Tomas Lawagan bound to Besao fell down the rice paddies towards the river in his Ford Fiera, along the Sagada-Dantay Road.

In December 1996, a Besao- Bontoc jeep fell in the same section of the road where the Batcagan jeep fell which led to the deaths of seven teachers from Besao and injury to 13 others.

Building good roads is a must  and let this be dedicated to the unfortunate victims  who perished along the Dantay-Sagada road which may be either due to human error or to bad road conditions.

Too, building safe and quality roads gives due reference to the efforts of former officials who wanted genuine development reach the tourist town of Sagada and so too with the adjoining municipality of Besao. And so too with President Benigno Aquino 111 flagship call for  Matuwid na Daan.  

Implementing a multi million peso road work just don’t happen. (Mountain Province Exponent, January 25,2015