LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, Sept. 14 (PNA) — The long standing boundary-dispute between the provinces of Pangasinan and Nueva Vizcaya was resurrected with the impending construction of the Pangasinan side of the Villaverde road that will link San Nicolas, Pangasinan to Sta. Fe, Nueva Vizcaya.
This was apparent since the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region 1 through Assistant Regional Director Ronnel Tan said Monday that the construction of Nueva Vizcaya side is now complete and was even extended three kilometers into the Pangasinan side.
Tan spoke before the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) during its question hour today wherein he was asked on the status of the Villaverde Road, formerly a foot trail taken by the Filipino and American forces when they pursued the retreating Japanese Forces towards the end of World War II.
Tan said the project, consisting of 27 kilometers from San Nicolas to its easternmost barangay of Malico, was allotted P1.2 billion till its completion in 2018.
The amount will be used for the construction of four concrete bridges along the way and the concreting of some 20 kilometers of roads.
Of this, P300 million was allocated in this year for the initial 63 lineal meter bridge which is set for completion in March next year and the concreting of the first 13 kilometers of road.
The project is set to receive P280 million in the proposed 2016 national budget which will be used for the construction of three more concrete bridges.
The remaining allocation will be released from 2017 to 2018 for the concreting of the remaining missing gaps of the highway, which was proposed to be an alternate road from Manila to Cagayan Valley in case the Dalton Pass in Nueva Vizcaya is closed by landslide.
Sixth District Board Member Ranjit Ramos Shahani, who as then congressman of the Sixth District of Pangasinan, started working for the construction of the Villaverde Trail when his uncle Fidel V. Ramos was president of the Philippines, said the boundary dispute is irrelevant in the construction of the new road.
Pangasinan and Nueva Vizcaya is enmeshed in a boundary dispute over Barangay Malico, the highest peak in the Caraballo Mountain range which has a climate similar to that of Baguio and is being eyed by Pangasinan as a mountain resort.
“When I was a congressman, I built a school for the children of Barangay Malico as it is a part of San Nicolas, Pangasinan. To date, there is a member of the Sangguniang Bayan of San Nicolas who is from Malico,” said Shahani.
He said that to date, Barangay Malico is divided into three parts, one is being claimed by San Nicolas, Pangasinan and the other is being claimed by Sta. Fe, Nueva Vizcaya.
Shahani said rather than prolonging their dispute, both Pangasinan and Nueva Vizcaya should instead propose for joint development of Malico.
The boundary dispute between the two provinces was sought to be resolved during the administration of then Governor Victor Agbayani of Pangasinan and Rodolfo Agbayani of Nueva Vizcaya.
He said when he was still a congressman, he called for a joint meeting in Malico between him and his then counterpart Congressman Carlos Padilla of Nueva Vizcaya and others officials in a bid to resolve the boundary dispute.
Padilla returned as a congressman of Nueva Vizcaya and his wife Rose Padilla is now the governor of Nueva Vizcaya.
Shahani said the Villaverde road is vital for the people of Region II as the highway will soon provide their agricultural products easier access to the Poro Point in San Fernandso, La Union and to Manila. (PNA)