by Maritess B. Beñas
BANGUED, Abra - A total of P38.3 million for road building is now ready for public bidding and immediate implementation in seven priority municipalities in the province.

In an interview with Governor Eustaquio P. Bersamin, the P38.3 million allocated for this year’s road building projects in the province is the share of the provincial government last year from Republic Act 7171 funds otherwise known as the excise taxes generated by the tobacco-producing provinces in the country.


The continuing road building projects of the governor is a fulfillment of his campaign promises to connect all the road networks in the province most especially in the hinterlands where most are dirt roads that become impassable during the rainy seasons.

Assistant provincial engineer Paterno B. Bernal said the governor had already given his go-signal to conduct the public bidding which is expected to go full blast this summer before the rains come. The concreting of the roads in the seven municipalities will be done in the most difficult portions of the roads.


There are eight road projects to be implemented in seven towns. These are the Tumbal Road in Manabo – P1.9 M; the Garreta – San Diego Road – P4 M and the Pidigan-Pilar Road – P4.4 M, both in Pidigan; and various provincial roads in the towns of Penarrrubia – P6 M, Licuan-Baay – P5 M, Boliney – P5 M, and Tayum – P6 M, for a total of P38.3 million.

The governor also assured the other towns the construction of similar project swhen the next releases of the share of the provincial government from the RA 7171 Funds.


He wants to see all the basic and major road networks connected to the provincial center in order to help the farmers bring their agricultural produce to the public market so that they will be encouraged to produce more and become more progressive as well as inspire the local populace to live in their own towns instead of building their houses in the capital town of Bangued.*(JDP/MBB-PIA CAR, Abra)