LAGAWE, IFUGAO – – Concerned residents of the capital town of Lagawe are once more calling on the government to immediately attend to the infrastructure needs of folks in far-flung villagers. Particularly, this refers to the largely unpaved, rough road leading to the Ayangan National Agricultural and Vocational High School (ANAVHS) in barangay Ponghal.
Thus, residents of underserved villages as this one have raised the stakes for the officialdom to do its avowed share in providing a better road network in this part of the town as a means of enhancing the delivery of basic services.
A number of public elementary and high schools are situated in Lagawe’s remote villages. The situation is not different from the one in Ponghal.
“Good roads are essential in far away barangays of Lagawe,” a Kagawad (councilman) declares. He and his friends at the main barangay Poblacion East are alarmed on the poor conditions of roads in the 16 villages outside of the town proper. The central Poblacion area has four villages. “We have to do something quick in order to improve road conditions there because travelling is indeed a terrifying experience.”
These days, with heavy rains now a common occurrence in Ifugao due to erratic climate change factors, traversing such road is both difficult and dangerous.
Ponghal, with a population of about 350, is accessible by small and light vehicles. Most travelers to the village are using motorcycles. “Very hard, most of the time, because the road condition is so bad,” a teacher said.
Dust and other unhealthy elements account for the discomfort while negotiating the Ponghal road at summertime. How much more at the onset and height of therainy season by June? What also is a cause of concern is the occurrence of mudslides. A disturbing fact is that soil erosion is a major problem in this village. Statistics on accidents brought forth by slides are brutal. It is, in fact, blamed for countless deaths among road accident fatalities in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
Villagers have for years looked for someone to help them ease their burden on the said road, particularly in the public sector.
If and when indeed someone steps into the picture as their “hero,” such “help” shall complement the steps taken by Punong Barangay James Talupa and ANAVHS principal Bernadette Villanueva.
Ayangan National Agricultural and Vocational High School is the only public high school with senior high courses for the young in Lagawe. Class instructions on crop production and organic agriculture production are provided by mentors. These courses are integral in the government’s K-12 flagship program. It makes the school surely vital in attaining the pronounced objectives of the much-heralded program. Yet, the road problem remains unattended.
Never, even in their wildest dreams, did an ANAVHS student would walk along a well-paved road- be it concrete or asphalt, to school, let alone enjoy it. It’s just like a walk through Fantasy Land. If you think this is an exaggeration, it isn’t.
Action by the national government to effectively address the adverse effects of the road problem in Ponghal and improve the well-being of the people here is most welcome.
A key road stretch close to the school as well as other stretches clearly need improvement, repairs and construction works.
Such actions will bring certainty and better access in respect of trade of goods and services, as well as enhance promotion of tourism sites, thereby generating jobs and incomes and further enhancing commercial interaction between far-flung villages and the town proper.
“We also hope to promote agribusiness in our barangay if and when the government makes its move to improve our roads,” another barangay government official motioned.
Sitting on a strategic section of the town and nestled in a scenic upland terrain, Ponghal and its adjacent villages is a cluster of rice-growing barangays, including Caba. This clearly represents a unique opportunity to capitalize on the agriculture potentials of this area.
It wasn’t always like this in many other parts of the country. Currently, the Build, Build, Build program of the Duterte administration is concentrated in well-developed regions in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Sadly, Ifugao is nowhere in the list of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) program and the Build, Build, Build program, both touted to spur economic growth and development. Ifugao is one of the poorest provinces in the Philippines. It can’t wait forever to rise from the doldrums of economic deprivation.
Under the “Build, Build, Build” drive, government seeks to increase infrastructure-to-GDP (gross domestic product) ratio to 7.4 percent, to dish out ambitious public infrastructure such as the North Luzon Expressway Harbor Link, South Luzon Expressway, Philippine National Railway North and South Rails and the Metro Manila Subway thus, creating a lot of curiosity and excitement. In the Php 3.767-trillion budgets for 2018, the Department of Budget and Management has allocated more than Php 940 billion for infrastructure spending.
However, instead of addressing this major issue and strengthening the trust and confidence of the people on the government, some attempts in Congress to politicize the matter seem to have gone wayward by depriving Ifugao folks their share of taxes paid and infused to the coffers of the government. This move undoubtedly threatens to harm the welfare of the impoverished people. These ill-advised moves are unfortunately and ironically taking an inexplicable dive back to oblivion.
Again, the problem would fall upon the shoulders of those caught in the middle of the political crossfire: the people. The reality is, Ifugao, no matter how small it is in terms of land area and population, bears the brunt of the “punishment.” Who deserves to have that unfair treatment?
Poor residents make up the majority of residents in Ponghal. It is precisely this reason that got concerned residents to finally speak up on this longstanding problem. “You know, you are right when you pointed out the fact that residents at the town proper are in a much better condition because the roads here are at least passable,” a resident of barangay Poblacion North says. This was her reply to this scribe’s query in a recent interview.
Coming up with something concrete to solve the road problem at Ponghal in this crucial time is so important. Thinking out of the box, jolting the senses of those who walk in the corridors of power and moving fast to impress them that time is of the essence are just as critical. Obviously, it entails a lot of time, energy and resources. At the end of the day, an answer to the query “How much longer will Ponghal folks suffer from this problem?, will be sought. When impoverished Ponghal villagers have a pressing issue as this one, they’re presented with different solutions because they each have their own take of the things.
Whatever the solution is, it is hoped that the way-out mode is insulated from politics. A case in point: the Lagawe-Boliwong-Abinuan road project, leading to the popular Inchang Falls with a budget of Php 200 million. It was scrapped from the General Appropriations Act (GAA) of 2018 or the national budget reportedly because oppositionist Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat Jr., a member of the so-called Magnificent 7 at the House of Representatives and the Liberal Party, belongs to the other side of the political fence. Rep. Baguilat is an arch-critic of President Duterte.
It has been observed that allocating funds for virtually unpassable roads and subsequently releasing the same without delay isn’t just a matter of supporting economic growth but also about the timely delivery of goods and services to the public.
Right-thinking Filipinos have loudly condemned the practice of holding or rejecting the releases of funds for vital infrastructure projects based on political grounds and describing such actions as “absurd.”
Although Ponghal has a rich soil thus, is blessed in agricultural products, the farmers are poor. They take consolation to the fact that majority of soil tillers in the Philippines like them remain cash-starved. According to a 2017 report of the National Statistical Coordination Board, the average daily wage of a farmer is Php 156.80.
If common sense only and finally prevails at the planning table, a new and better Ponghal road shall translate to a lot of benefits. For one, farm products are easily transported. Transportation costs are likely to slide down and people are linked to the outside world.
The best thing that the Duterte administration can do now is to provide funds for all-important road works here as it is deemed as a crucial move in helping lift villagers from the vicious poverty cycle. And so, if the situation is changed, some investors may think to come into the picture. Uncertainty in viability of the infrastructure network in distant villages only increases the risk of doing business in said places. More importantly, the provision of all-weather roads in marginalized villages could be considered as an effective approach in ensuring countryside development. The much-sought action must, without doubt, be done now in order to reach the poor and needy.
Any official should ask these villagers: Do you really need a good road? Their reply: Very badly! Obviously, don’t go any further and ask them when.
The stakes are so high in upgrading the Ponghal road. Certainly, this will help open windows of opportunities to residents, alleviate their plight and improve their standard of living.
Equally important, a better road will help ensure that there is a safe and comfortable route to be taken going to school for generations to come.
The all-vital Ponghal road, leading to the ANAVHS is about three kilometers long and worth Php 51 million.
A rigorous congressional or Palace team must start considering options or plans to provide relief to the folks of Ponghal. It is the duty of the legislative and executive branches of the government to seriously look into this problem and not compromise the well-being of Ponghal folks- old and young alike. The government especially owes this to the young learners of Ayangan National Agricultural and Vocational High School. Officials owe this to their future. **By Anthony A. Araos
