With genuine smiles in their faces, about 30 members of the Agta community from Isabela showed their excitement and eagerness over the rehabilitation of the Ilagan–Divilacan road during its inauguration held on March 18, 2016 in Ilagan City.

The improvement of this 82.004-kilometer road will mean easier access to the coastal towns of Isabela such as Maconacon, Divilacan, Palanan, and Dinapigue where the Agtas and more than 20,000 other people live, isolated economically and physically from the mainland.

As early as 2010, plans to rehabilitate the old logging road crossing the Sierra Madre Mountains have been started.

However, it is only five years later that the Provincial Government of Isabela has started the rehabilitation project through a loan of Php 1.9 Billion from the Development Bank of the Philippines.

Protecting the rights of the IPs

During its first consultation in November 2010, one of the main concerns raised was how to protect the rights of the IP community living within the project site.

To address this, and to safeguard the rights and welfare of the IPs, the Provincial Government entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and the Agta Tribal Community before it proceeded with the project.

Today, some of the Agtas are hired as workers for the project as a way of providing them income and livelihood.

RDC support and endorsement

Once completed by March 2021, the improved Ilagan–Divilacan road will help ease transportation and facilitate the speedy and effective delivery of basic services to the coastal municipalities in Isabela, especially during calamities.

Recognizing this positive impact that the improved road will be making, the Regional Development Council (RDC) 2 approved and endorsed the road improvement project in 2012.

Further, in 2015, the Council has pushed for the reclassification of the road from local to national.

“The Ilagan–Divilacan road is expected to be the trunkline and lifeline for the socioeconomic development of the coastal municipalities as well as in the monitoring and protection of the Northern Sierra Madre Mountain Range,” says Regional Director MaryAnne ER. Darauay, the Acting Chair of the RDC2.

“It will also invite potential foreign investments for alternative power sources such as wind and solar power farms, and will open up more opportunities to showcase our tourist-worthy attractions in our coast,” the Director adds.

The Ilagan–Divilacan road traverses barangays Villa Imelda, Sindon Bayabo, and Bigao in Ilagan City, and barangays Sapinit, Dicambangan, and Dicatian in Divilacan.

Once completed, the road will help create jobs and open up new businesses and other income-generating opportunities in these areas.

The inauguration of the road rehabilitation project was also attended by local officials, government workers, residents, and other stakeholders in the province of Isabela.#