By Gina Dizon
BAUKO, Mountain Province -- A P300 million peso road upgrading from Abatan to Balitaugan shall improve access to tourist sites including Balintaugan Airfield, a potential heritage site located at Balintagan, Bagnen.
Bauko Mayor Abraham Akilit during a press conference on the occasion of the March 9 Begnas festival said upgrading of the 19-km road shall boost tourism industry of the town.
The 300 million project is sourced under the tourism road improvement convergence, a convergence program of the Departments of Tourism and Public Works and Highways.
The road to Balintaugan shall provide smoother access to the historic Spanish trail then used by Spaniards who came via China Sea, travelled to Cervantes on to Tadian, followed slopes of Mt Am-o to mountains of Balintaugan then to Balugan, Sagada.
Other tourist spots seen along the Abatan-Balintaugan road are Toktok Allan and four sites of rice terraces towards Bagnen Oriente and the much trekked Mt Polis accommodating some 3,000 visitors a month.
Home to vegetable farming and towering mountains, Bauko has astounding sceneries to include Bila’s interesting native pottery making.