27/08/2026
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ | ๐๐๐-๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฅ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ณ๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ-๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐
The Regional Development Council-Cordillera Administrative Region (RDC-CAR) welcomed Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon during his visit to the region on August 21, 2026 in Baguio City, to assess infrastructure damage and discuss priority interventions to address the impacts of recent weather disturbances in the Cordillera.
Present during the meeting with Secretary Dizon are RDC-CAR Chairperson and Apayao Governor Elias Bulut, Jr,, RDC-CAR Co-Chairperson PSR Arnel Cabanisas, RDC-CAR Vice-Chairperson and DEPDev-CAR Regional Director Apollo Edwin S. Pagano, and RDC Infrastructure Development Committee (InfraCom) Chairperson and DPWH-CAR Regional Director Edith Babaran, along with Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong and other concerned local chief executives as well as national government agencies and the media.
During the meeting, Secretary Dizon said that the CAR was the most severely affected among all regions in Luzon because of the continuous heavy rains resulting in road closures, landslides, and related geohazards. He assured regional stakeholders that the national government would extend all necessary support for the region's recovery.
Governor Bulut welcomed the Secretary's visit and emphasized the importance of prompt interventions to restore damaged infrastructure and strengthen disaster resilience across the region. He noted that maintaining road accessibility is critical to ensuring the continued delivery of public services and supporting the livelihood and mobility of affected communities.
DPWH-CAR Director Babaran, through her respective District Engineers, presented updates on critical infrastructure concerns and ongoing mitigation measures being implemented by DPWH. She underscored the need for sustained investments in slope protection, road rehabilitation, and disaster-resilient infrastructure to address recurring erosion and landslide issues in the Cordillera.
DEPDev-CAR Director Pagano reported that the RDC Secretariat had requested the provinces and the city of Baguio to submit their top five priority projects aimed at addressing damaged infrastructure facilities and other structures affected by the recent typhoons and weather disturbances, which were then consolidated and forwarded to the DPWH for appropriate action. In response, DPWH Secretary Dizon assured the RDC that the submitted projects would be reviewed and considered for funding, subject to existing policies and the availability of resources.
Following the meeting, Secretary Dizon conducted inspections of key infrastructure sites in the region. Among these was the rocknetting project along the La Trinidad-Kapangan Road in Tublay, where questions regarding the safety and integrity of the installation prompted the DPWH chief to order an investigation to determine compliance with established engineering standards and specifications.
Secretary Dizon also inspected the road cut along the Baguio-Aritao Road in Beckel, a major transportation lifeline in the region, as well as the flooded areas at the Strawberry Farm in La Trinidad. During the site visits, he discussed with local officials and key stakeholders the short- and long-term priority interventions needed to address these concerns. Proposed measures included the installation of a double grid wall along the road cut in Beckel and dredging works along the Balili River and Bolo Creek as well as the installation of pumping equipment, among other flood mitigation measures, to reduce farm flooding in La Trinidad.
The Secretary underscored the need for strong partnership among the national government, the RDC-CAR, local government units, and other development partners in accelerating recovery efforts and building resilient infrastructure that can withstand future disasters.
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