LINGAYEN—The Department of Public Works and Highways has started work on the P1-billion Binmaley-Lingayen bypass road, amid resistance from landowners and farmers who stand to be affected.

A third public consultation dialogue was held on May 10, with the attendance of Pangasinan Second District Rep. Leopoldo Bataoil, DPWH officials and other local executives and landowners whose properties will be traversed by the project.

“We are giving them leeway to decide. If they fail to do so, in 30 days’ time, we would proceed with expropriation case,” said Engr. Reynaldo Ganuelas, chief of flood control and environmental concerns and team leader of acquisition of right of ways of Team A that includes Pangasinan and La Union.

Rep. Bataoil explains to property owners who will be affected by the construction of the overdue Lingayen bypass road. (Punchphoto by Nora Dominguez)

The project spans from Barangay Biec in Binmaley to Baay in Lingayen.

The project, each phase costing ₱200 million, will be implemented in five phases and can possibly extend to Dagupan City to ease traffic problem.

He said in implementing government projects, government enjoys “eminent domain” wherein the government has the right to get a property for an infrastructure project whether the property owner agrees or not.

Payments for expropriated land that will be traversed by the by-pass road project will be at market or zonal values, whichever is higher, he said.

Structures that would be affected like houses shall also be paid under the replacement costs of the project based on current price, he added.

Bataoil said he requested for the dialogue so DPWH officials can appreciate the resistance of the affected landowners.

Bataoil said “as leaders we have to look at overall effect and situation”.

Among the affected 40 landowners is Abraham Caburnay, 37, a vendor of onions and garlic, from Baay, Lingayen, whose family owns about 200 square-meter lot.

“We will be homeless,” he said.

Ruth Sison, another affected landowner from Baay, Lingayen, whose 409-square meter lot will be traversed by the project, said her family simply refuse to vacate their lot.

For Helen Catalan, also from Baay, Lingayen whose house has to be demolished, said the four-lane project is too ambitious at their expense.

“Ang hinihingi lang namin ay kahit three meters lang po. Malaki na yun, huwag yung four-lanes. tama na yung one or two lanes,” she said. (Eva Visperas)

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