Nueva Vizcaya Governor Atty. Jose V. Gambito has called on the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to ensure the conduct of public consultations with Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICCs) whose ancestral domains may be affected by the multi-billion-peso Dalton Pass East Alignment Road Project.
Gambito raised the concern during a courtesy call on January 23 by DPWH officials and project representatives led by Engr. Nelson Tabile Graza, project manager from the Office of the Project Director, Roads Management Cluster 1 (Bilateral), Unified Project Management Office (UPMO). He was joined by project consultants and the survey team for the detailed engineering design, including survey engineer Rey Pantino and project coordinator Millard Cruz.
The governor stressed that the agreement and participation of indigenous peoples must be secured before civil works proceed to prevent issues that could delay implementation and to ensure the project is carried out smoothly. The ancestral domain in the affected area is occupied by the Kalanguya indigenous communities in Santa Fe, Nueva Vizcaya, and Carranglan, Nueva Ecija.
In response, Graza and his team assured the provincial government that the DPWH in coordination with the National Commission on Indigineous Peoples(NCIP) will conduct public consultations with the concerned communities.Gambito also said the project will bring broad economic benefits, adding, “The Dalton Pass East Alignment Road will significantly improve transportation and market access across Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya and the wider Cagayan Valley — a key agricultural region of the country — helping farmers reach markets faster and supporting growth in rice and corn production. It will also boost tourism in the area, and the tunnel itself could become a new tourist attraction.”
The Dalton Pass East Alignment Road Project is a ₱67.4-billion, 23-kilometer, four-lane alternative route designed to bypass the disaster-prone existing highway between Nueva Ecija and Nueva Vizcaya. Funded by the national government through a loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the project is targeted for completion by 2031.
The project includes the construction of 6.121 kilometers of twin-tube tunnel sections, with the longer northern tunnel totaling about 4.516 kilometers and the southern tunnel about 1.605 kilometers. Once completed, it is expected to be the longest road tunnel in the Philippines. It also covers 10 bridges with a combined length of 5.828 kilometers, as well as slope protection works.
Its components include a highway intended to improve access for municipalities and barangays in Nueva Vizcaya and Nueva Ecija, the north and south tunnels to be located in Santa Fe and Carranglan, and bridge works traversing the municipalities of Aritao, Santa Fe, and Carranglan.
The DPWH UPMO–Roads Management Cluster 1 (Bilateral) is leading the project’s implementation.#RMI
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