P2-B Sierra Madre road project pushed

ILAGAN CITY, Philippines – The Isabela provincial government is pushing for a P2-billion road project linking four towns facing the Pacific Ocean to the province’s mainland.

Gov. Faustino Dy III said even the national government is interested in the project, which he said would further prop up the economic development of the province, especially in the coastal towns of Palanan, Maconacon, Divilacan and Dinapigue. 

“These coastal areas have great tourism potentials. A road going to these areas would surely boost economic activity… This has been the long clamor of our constituents in the coastal areas,” Dy said.

At present, the four towns, known for their rich marine resources, scenic sites and agricultural products, can only be reached by air travel or a 24-hour boat ride from Cagayan’s northernmost town of Santa Ana which faces the South China Sea.  

The road project was hatched during the term of Dy’s elder brother, then governor Faustino Jr., but was put on hold during the administration of former governor Grace Padaca who feared that illegal loggers could use the road to enter and exploit virgin forests in the area.

The proposed road, spanning more than 50 kilometers, would traverse the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park, one of the world’s top biodiversity corridors.