Engr. Ireneo Panabang of the National Project Coordination Office (NPCO) and Engr. Ramil Corsino of the Luzon A Project Support Office (PSO) re-validated the proposed infrastructure subprojects in Manaoag and Umingan, Pangasinan in support to the mango commodity on May 30-31, 2016.

The Construction of Oraan Bridge with Approaches is the infrastructure proposal of the Municipality of Manaog in support to the mango commodity. With an estimated project cost of  P20,609,210.30, the bridge has a total length of 21 lineal meters and 146.5 meters pavement that is along the Cabanban-Oraan Road. The subproject was approved during the 5^th Regional Project Advisory Board Meeting 1 (RPAB) on November 17, 2015.

Manuel Castillo, a resident of Barangay Oraan since birth was passing by during the validation and said: “Maongnanagawa la yay taytay. … Nudelap,anganomangikargakaykawayanditan, nalipos.” (It is good that the bridge will be fixed. … During floods, even if you let bamboos stand there, they will submerge.)

Meanwhile, the infrastructure specialists also re-visited the proposed Rehabilitation of the Gonzales-San Juan Farm to Market Road inUmingan, Pangasinan. The proposed road rehabilitation is the pilot subproject of the Province of Pangasinan under the infrastructure component of the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) in support to the mango commodity. With a total length of 10.63 kilomters, its estimated project cost totals to P112,547,927.58.

After the re-validation, the infrastructure specialists gave updates on the status of the issuance of the No Objection Letter 1 (NOL1) for the above-mentioned subprojects. Manaoag Bridge has complied with all comments and recommendations of the NPCO and the PSO, and will be issued a NOL 1 as soon as possible. For the Umingan FMR, the cluster and national project offices are still reviewing the compliance documents. (Ilocos InfoACE)