RETRIEVALRescue workers retrieve the remains of passengers of a truck that plunged into a ravine in T’boli, South Cotabato. —PHOTO COURTESY OF T’BOLI MDRRMO
KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato, Philippies — Officials of T’boli town in South Cotabato province are studying a proposal to ban cargo trucks and other large vehicles from using an alternate road here after a truck plunged into a ravine on Tuesday, killing 20 people.
T’boli Mayor Dibu Tuan said the local government would discuss the possibility of allowing only light vehicles to use the alternate mountain route, which cuts travel time from South Cotabato’s upper valley areas to General Santos City by at least an hour.
From the province’s upper valley towns of Surallah, T’boli and Sto. Niño, the alternate route traverses Polomolok town and leads to General Santos City, bypassing Koronadal City, the provincial capital.
Road barriers
“The alternate road has steep and winding portions, in some segments, a big truck would occupy the opposite lane when maneuvering. The route is dangerous for large vehicles, especially if these are loaded [with cargo or people],” Tuan told the Inquirer.
The route has become an option for many travelers after the provincial engineer’s office finished its concrete pavement in 2015 through the Lamsalome-Lamdalag farm-to-market road project.
Rolly Doane Aquino, operations and warning chief of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, stressed the need to set up road barriers to prevent a similar accident in the area and in other steep and winding segments of the road.
Beach party
Tuan said the truck ban could be imposed through an ordinance or an executive order.
On Tuesday, a cargo truck used for transporting scrap fell into a 100-meter ravine in Barangay Lambangan, T’boli, when its driver lost control of the vehicle while negotiating a steep downhill segment.
Most of the 34 people on board are from Surallah town. They came from an overnight beach party in General Santos City.