Sunday, October 15, 2006 P300M Baguio circumferential road to be finished
OFFICIALS of concerned regional line agencies patched up their differences and agreed to fast-track the completion of the long overdue P300 million Baguio circumferential road project to help ease traffic congestion, especially along the central business district (CBD).
Baguio City Representative Mauricio Domogan played as a go-between, resulting to an agreement reached by officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to complete the unfinished phases of the project.
The 21 kilometer circumferential road would allow a motorist from Irisan to go to Happy Hallow at the other side of the city and vice versa without passing through the traffic-prone CBD.
Domogan said the seven-year old project was conceptualized during his term as city mayor in anticipation to the ill-effects of rapid urbanization so that motorists could avoid traffic congestion at the main streets of the city.
The 300 million fund for the project was approved by former President Joseph Estrada as the National Government’s partial payment to the huge obligations it incurred with the city government for the various national government properties here.
The three phases at the Happy Hallow area worth over P80 million was stalled after BCDA refused to allow the contractor to enter its property within the Camp John Hay forest and watershed reservation after learning that the City Government was reportedly demanding for the payment of the properties to be affected by the road project.
However, Domogan asserted that the City never demanded for the payment of the properties to be traversed by the widening and concreting project. He said what was then agreed upon was for the DPWH to compensate the agricultural crops and other properties to be affected by the project.
After being clarified on the issue, lawyer Lyssa Pagano-Calde, BCDA legal counsel, committed that the agency will give its consent to continue the interrupted portion of the project.
DENR Regional Executive Director Samuel Peñafiel also vowed to process the environmental compliance certificate and the tree cutting permits for the packages which were not issued clearances.
Engineer Mariano Alquiza, DPWH regional director, agreed to work out the processing of all documents needed by the contractors for the immediate implementation of the stalled packages of the road project.
Domogan said in case funds for the unimplemented packages would not be enough, he would work out the sourcing of additional funds to ensure the completion of the long overdue project. (DS)
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