Baguio woes to ease as three major roads partially reopen

Baguio City’s isolation caused by landslides and lowland floods is expected to ease considerably with the partial reopening Tuesday of two more major roads leading there, allowing the delivery of limited supplies of food, fuel, medicines, and relief goods.

The densely populated tourist resort city was isolated over the weekend, the first time all roads to Baguio were closed since the 1990 earthquake. Kennon Road was opened to light vehicles on Monday. Public Works Undersecretary Romeo Momo said they reopened one lane of Naguilian Road at 2 a.m. Tuesday to allow supply trucks to get to the city. “Mga 2 a.m. nabuksan natin ang one lane ng Naguilian Road at okay na ito. Tuluy-tuloy ang trabaho nila para maging two lanes na ang madadaanan (We opened one lane of Naguilian Road at 2 a.m., and we are working round the clock to open two lanes)," Momo said in an interview on dzBB radio. “Doon sa Naguilian, kahit heavy truck na heavy loaded, pwede dumaan, pero, of course, dapat dahan-dahan lang (Heavy trucks with heavy loads can now cross Naguilian Road, but of course slowly and carefully)," he added. Momo, however, cautioned drivers using the Naguilian Road as some portions are still muddy. Typhoon Pepeng's relentless rains loosened earth throughout the western half of the Cordillera mountain range, causing dozens of landslides. In addition to blocking the main arteries to Baguio City, which relies on tourism income, the landslides buried communities and swept away homes, killing more than 200 people so far. Many are still missing as rescue operations continue in Benguet and Mountain Province. Marcos Highway Also on Tuesday morning, radio dzBB’s Carlo Mateo reported that the Department of Public Works and Highways-Cordillera Administrative Region (DPWH-CAR) reopened the Marcos Highway. Also, the report said that at least 21 trucks carrying vegetables were waiting for the roads to be cleared to get to Baguio City. However, the DPWH-CAR said only light vehicles, including those transporting fish, vegetables and oxygen tanks for hospitals, can use the road. The DPWH also said small oil tankers carrying fuel can use the highway. "24 hours ang tao natin doon (Our workers had been working on Marcos Highway 24 hours a day)," Momo said. He said he expects Naguilian and Kennon Road to become very busy due to the heavy traffic. Last Monday, DPWH workers managed to partially open Kennon Road, but imposed a schedule to manage the flow of traffic to and from Baguio City. Baguio was isolated last weekend after the closure of the Marcos Highway, Kennon Road and Naguilian Road due to landslides and floods typhoon Pepeng caused. Long time During the weekend, prices of basic goods such as rice shot up, while fuel supplies ran low as trucks bearing supplies could not get to the city. Momo said that with the Naguilian Road reopened, they will leave it to local officials to decide on an arrangement for the use of Kennon, Naguilian and Marcos Highway. But he also said it will take a long time before Kennon Road can be fully reopened. “Malaki ang damage sa Kennon, matagalan bago maging two-lane ang magagamit. May malaking portion, isang buong kalsada nalubog so nahirapan tayo riyan, kaya medyo nili-limit natin ang capacity ng truck na dadaan diyan (Kennon sustained much damage so it will take a while before it can become two-lane. In the meantime we will have to limit the capacity of trucks using it)," he said. Major roads The Kennon Road, Naguilian Road and Aspiras Highway (formerly Marcos Highway) are the three main road arteries linking Baguio City to the rest of Luzon. Kenon Road is a 50-minute to an hour drive on 41.2-kilometer steep and winding climb to Baguio City from the Town of Rosario in La Union. The Naguilian Road is a 46-kilometer stretch from Bauang town in La Union to the city, and serves as the shortest way from any point in Northern Luzon. Aspiras Highway (formerly called Marcos Highway) is a 49.2-kilometer stretch from Agoo town in La Union to Baguio. Isolation repeated Nineteen years ago, Baguio City was also isolated for three days when a magnitude-7.8 quake hit northern Luzon, triggering landslides that shut down portions of the three access roads leading to it. The earthquake caused the collapse of 28 buildings, including hotels, factories, government and university buildings, as well as many private homes and establishments; cutting electric, water and communication lines in the city. In Baguio City alone, over 1,000 people were trapped and killed in damaged buildings in that July 16, 1990 tragedy. Clearing and repair of the three main roads to Baguio shut down by the landslides took three days of round-the-clock work. - GMANews.TV