Pursuant to the directive of President Arroyo, the Cordillera Office of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has announced that the whole stretch of the 180-kilometer Baguio-Bontoc-Banaue Road, popularly known as the Halsema Highway, opened on Saturday to light vehicular traffic, allowing tons of stranded vegetable supply to flood the markets.

The Halsema Highway links Baguio City and the agricultural areas of Benguet and Mountain province as well as the premier tourist destination which is Banaue, Ifugao, host of the world acclaimed rice terraces.

The road has been totally closed to vehicular traffic after it suffered a 300-meter road cut in Km 18 Ambassador, Tublay, Benguet and several other road cuts in different sections plus over 50 landslides up to the jurisdiction of Ifugao due to the strong winds and heavy rains brought by typhoon Pepeng when it made three historic landfalls in Northern Luzon, including the cordillera.

But Engr. Roy Manao, DPWH-CAR regional director, said almost all their assets and personnel, including those of private contractors, were deployed along the stretch of the road in a 24-hour routine to temporarily open the road to vehicular traffic since the closure of the main artery of the region resulted in an artificial shortage of agricultural crops, especially vegetables, that forced traders to unreasonably increase their prices.

As soon as the road was opened to traffic, at least 300 light vehicles loaded with vegetables and 500 others loaded with passengers coming in and out of the province started to traverse the road even if there are still critical sections.