BAGUIO CITY – Three major national roads in Benguet have been opened in full after the land and rockslides reported early Wednesday morning as a result of Super Typhoon Carina have been cleared.
“The Asin-Nangalisan-San Pascual road in Tuba, Benguet; the Baguio-Bauang Road specifically at Sablan, Benguet, and the Benguet-Vizcaya road in Pito proper, Bokod, Benguet are now two-lane passable,” the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said in a post on its Facebook page.
The department said all national roads in Apayao and Baguio City are passable.
Benguet Governor Melchor Diclas, in his official Facebook page, said road clearing teams and equipment have been dispatched to clear portions of Halsema Highway and other roads that were closed to traffic due to landslides and rockslides.
He said the provincial government’s equipment are augmented by those from the municipal government, the DPWH and the private contractors.
Diclas said that Km. 48 in Atok is now one lane passable with clearing still on going, along with Kilometer 49 and 46 of the Baguio-Bontoc Road; the Lipucan, Poblacion, Palina, Tabbac, and Nangayangan-Nalicob-Masala portions of the Bado Dangwa Road; and the Amburayan-Boneng road in Kapangan.
In La Trinidad, the Induyan-Alno provincial road and the La Trinidad-Bineng provincial road have been cleared of debris.
However, some road sections in Abra, Benguet, Ifugao, Mountain Province and Kalinga are either not passable, punch through open, one-way passable or with limited access.
BFP aid
Meanwhile, the Bureau of Fire Protection is also on the ground helping the Baguio City Police Office clear city roads of fallen trees, the Baguio City Public Information Office said on its social media post.
“The BCPO continues to observe the water level at City Camp Lagoon. Personnel also conducted clearing operation of fallen branches and leaves at the lagoon, together with BFP and the City Engineering Office. The canal is still at a normal level,” the social media post reads.
It said “BFP Irisan-Pucay Fire Substation monitors the water level at Lamtang bridge and observes the drainage/sewer along Naguillan Road” while the “BFP Quirino Hill Fire Substation keeps an eye on the landslide at Alfonso Tabora Street which is still not passable to motorists and pedestrians."
Vegetable transportation
In a social media post, the Benguet Agripinoy Trading Center (BAPTC) said operations remain normal and traders’ trucks continue to arrive to transport vegetables to the different destinations such as Divisoria, Balintawak, Urdaneta, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte as well as Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, and Southern Luzon.
Vegetables from the farms in Benguet, Ifugao and Mountain Province are brought to the different La Trinidad trading facilities, including the BAPTC, for trading and transport to the different markets nationwide, particularly in Metro Manila.
As of 8 a.m. on Wednesday, the Trading Operations Division reported a total of 129 farmers' trucks at the trading facility, with 31 traders' trucks transporting vegetables to various destinations.
Benguet is the source of at least 75 percent of highland vegetables brought to Metro Manila and the different markets nationwide. (PNA)
