BONTOC, Mountain Province - Life and mobility in this landlocked province has become difficult with mudslides closing Halsema Highway and isolating the province from the rest of Cordillera.
For over two weeks now, rains have caused mudslides that have blocked up to 90 meters of the main road which has been opened and closed to traffic.
Engr. Alexander Castañeda, assistant regional director of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in the Cordillera, said at least 20,000 cubic meters of debris with a height of 100 meters have blocked the Gonogon road section.
The debris, composed of fragile rock and soil formations, have impeded the smooth flow of vehicular traffic going in and out of the province, especially in this capital town, said Castañeda.
Because of the prevalence afternoon rains in the province, Castañeda admitted it is difficult to predict when the road will be fully opened to vehicular traffic since the rains trigger more mudslides.
He said that even if numerous units of heavy equipment are working round-the-clock to clear major portions of the landslide area, the efforts will still not ensure the opening of the highway.
Halsema Highway is the main aorta of the Cordillera because it connects Baguio City, Benguet, Mountain province and Nueva Vizcaya and serves as a major link to the 220kilometer newly-rehabilitated Bontoc-Tabuk-Tuguegarao road.
Engr. Enrico Guilas, DPWH-Cordillera regional director, said the DPWH has already spent over P8 million over the past two weeks just for equipment rentals alone in a bid to clear the debris from the road to ensure the eventual return of smooth vehicular traffic.
Guilas admitted the construction and maintenance of mountain roads are considered to be the most expensive because of the need to put up other amenities such as drainage systems, slope protection walls, carve and gutter among others as well as in clearing the debris that usually impede the smooth flow of traffic during rainy season.
At present, people wanting to go in and out of the province could take the option to walk through the landslide area by passing through the temporary walkway constructed for the purpose and ride on waiting vehicles on both sides of the road or wait for the units of heavy equipment to be able to punch through the slide.
For safer travel, Guilas suggested to the motorists they could take the route to Banaue, Ifugao and pass through the Benguet-Nueva Vizcaya road in going to and from the province to Baguio City, Benguet or some parts of Region 1.
He said there is an urgent need to open the road to vehicular traffic for the transport of agricultural crops from the farms to the market but it seems the situation will not improve with continuous heavy rains.
