BAGUIO CITY — All national roads and bridges in the Cordillera region are now passable after the floods, landslides, and rockslides caused by Typhoon Carina-enhanced monsoon rains last week.
According to Philippines News Agency, in posts on its social media pages on Thursday, even the historic Kennon Road leading to this city is passable, although only for light vehicles. The DPWH added that "a one-way traffic scheme is being implemented at Camp 6, Tuba, Benguet due to an ongoing project." The department advised motorists to exercise extreme caution while passing through recently cleared sections of the road.
Alternative routes for heavy vehicles include the Marcos Highway, the Asin-Nangalisan-San Pascual-La Union Boundary Road, and the Naguilian Road via the municipality of Bauang in La Union. The Nueva Vizcaya-Ifugao-Mt. Province Boundary along View Point, Banaue in Ifugao is one-lane passable.
Following the onslaught of Carina, the DPWH immediately dispatched all resources and road-clearing teams to ensure that roads were open to allow the passage of people and goods, especially perishable vegetables, en route to other provinces. Private contractors used their equipment to assist the DPWH and volunteers with road-clearing operations. Local government units also dispatched their Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils (DRRMC) to help ensure the accessibility of provincial and municipal roads.
Community members also contributed to clearing small landslides and fallen trees blocking the roads, demonstrating the Filipino "bayanihan" and Cordillera "Binnadang" spirit. Arnel Peil, president of the Contractors Association of the Philippines in the Cordillera, emphasized this collective effort, saying, "There is an unwritten bayanihan spirit between us and the government, even the community members during calamities. We are simply told of the situation and we move because we also have a responsibility to our fellowmen, not just to our businesses and companies."