Dennis Gasgonia

Article (news)

Andrea Taguines

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA - To break years of delay, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon on Thursday has ordered the start of expropriation proceedings for key bypass roads and farm-to-market routes in Tarlac province.</p><p>Dizon inspected the Concepcion-Bamban Bypass Road which has been stalled for six years or since 2020 mainly due to right-of-way issues and piecemeal budgeting.</p><p>“2021, naputol na yung pondo. Ang problema din sa right-of-way, hindi naman pinoproseso… Hindi ko naiintindihan bakit ganun, parang pinapabayaan na lang. Tapos anim na taon yung nakaraan, walang nangyari,” he said. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/7/sandiganbayan-subpoenas-dpwh-records-custodian-over-bulacan-flood-project-1316"><strong>Sandiganbayan subpoenas DPWH records custodian over Bulacan flood project</strong></a></div><p>The 11-kilometer bypass road aims to establish a direct route from Concepcion and Bamban to New Clark City without having to pass through MacArthur Highway.</p><p>It is also seen to decongest the traffic along another national road, the Concepcion-Magalang Road.</p><p>“Ang daming nagtatrabaho dyan sa Clark (from) Mabalacat tapos ang layo ng commute, iikot pa sa 2 bayan. Ito, baka 10-15 minutes nasa trabaho na sila... Given yung fuel crisis, malaki ang menos sa gastos nila,” said Tarlac Governor Christian Yap who joined the inspection.</p><p>Yap promised to help in the expropriation process.</p><p>Tarlac City mayor and former governor Susan Yap meanwhile expressed gratitude to Dizon for laying down clear instructions on how to complete the stalled project, particularly allocating sufficient funding.</p><p>“Nung governor ako, my son was the congressman, may coordination naman so we knew what was going on. But of course ang funding kasi nyan multi year e. Meron ngayon, mamaya nawawala,” she said.</p><div> </div><div><strong>FOOD SECURITY</strong></div><p>Dizon also stressed the importance of finishing the road from end-to-end so it can serve as a farm-to-market route for farmers who are already struggling with higher fuel costs.</p><p>“Yung cost of food natin, bababa. Kasi imbis na iikot sila nang napakalayo or dadaan sila sa mga dirt road na halos hindi na sila makadaan, lalo na pag tag-ulan, ang dali nang madala yung mga palay, gulay, prutas. Ang dali nang mabenta,” he added.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/6/look-dpwh-completes-magallanes-flyover-repairs-0752"><strong>LOOK: DPWH completes Magallanes flyover repairs </strong></a> </div><p>Rice farmer William Alfonso hopes the project will be finished soon to improve their plight. Currently, he said he is barely earning anything.</p><p>“Halimbawa, magha-harvest kami, dadalhin namin ng Mabalacat Market, mabilis dito (sa bypass road). Yung konsumo namin sa gastos kokonti kaysa yung iikot kami sa Macarthur (Highway) tapos mata-traffic ka pa, mas maraming oras naaaksaya… Hindi ka man tatabla, lugi ka pa,” he said.</p><div> </div><div><strong>ESTRADA BYPASS ROAD</strong></div><p>Dizon also went to Capas to visit the site for the proposed Estrada Bypass Road which has become a dump site due to years of inactivity.</p><p>“Maamoy. Mga bata, nilalagnat, sinisipon… Kawawa mga bata, walang gamot,” complained one resident. </p><p>Farmers also have a hard time transporting their goods through the dirt road.</p><p>Henry Sison said it takes them about 8 rounds of back-and-forth to transport a 100-kilogram cavan of rice.<strong><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/8/sally-santos-testifies-delivering-p400-million-to-hernandez-in-one-go-1525"><br/></a></strong></p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/8/sally-santos-testifies-delivering-p400-million-to-hernandez-in-one-go-1525"><strong>Sally Santos testifies delivering P400 million to Hernandez in one go</strong></a></div><p>“Dahil lubak-lubak yung daan, kung minsan matutumba po yung trailer ng traktora, karga nanaman po kami. May napipilay dahil nadadaganan sila ng trailer,” he said.</p><p>He added that sometimes the palay even gets spoiled.</p><p>“Pag hindi agad makarating ang makinarya ng harvester, hindi po agad naka-crop, nahihinog po yung palay,” shared Sison.</p><p>Dizon aims to finish both projects by 2027, even if it means resorting to building two-lane roads first instead of four lanes just to ensure end-to-end accessibility. </p>

<p>To break years of delay, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon on Thursday has ordered the start of expropriation proceedings for key bypass roads and farm-to-market routes in Tarlac province.</p>

To break years of delay, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon on Thursday has ordered the start of expropriation proceedings for key bypass roads and farm-to-market routes in Tarlac province.

Dizon orders expropriation to resolve ROW issues in Tarlac bypass roads, farm-to-market routes

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Dizon orders expropriation to resolve ROW issues in Tarlac bypass roads, farm-to-market routes

Andrea Taguines,

ABS-CBN News

Published April 09, 2026 05:42 PM PHT

Read More:

DPWH

unfinished bypass road

farm-to-market road

Bamban

Capas

Tarlac

inflation

right-of-way issues

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