EVALUATION OF PROPOSED ROADS WITHIN BARANGAY MAGATOS AND
BARANGAY KAYAGA
THE HIGHWAY LOCATION SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED TO EVALUATE
THREE PROPOSED ROUTES (R1, R2, R3) AIMED AT IMPROVING
ACCESSIBILITY BETWEEN BARANGAY MAGATOS AND BARANGAY
KAYAGA, MUNICIPALITY OF KABACAN, COTABATO. THE STUDY
FOLLOWED THREE PHASES: OFFICE STUDY OF EXISTING INFORMATION,
RECONNAISSANCE SURVEY, AND PRELIMINARY LOCATION SURVEY AND
EVALUATION.
I. OFFICE STUDY OF EXISTING INFORMATION
USING A WORLD TOPOGRAPHIC MAP, THE TERRAIN, LAND USE, AND
SETTLEMENT PATTERNS WERE REVIEWED. ALL PROPOSED
ALIGNMENTS LIE ON FLATLANDS, WHICH ARE FAVORABLE FOR
CONSTRUCTION, MAINTENANCE, AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY.
i. DEMOGRAPHICS AND LAND USE
MAGATOS: RURAL BARANGAY, POPULATION 3,987 (2020).
TERRAIN IS FLAT AND HIGHLY SUITABLE FOR AGRICULTURE,
ESPECIALLY RICE FARMING. ROAD IMPROVEMENTS ARE VITAL
FOR TRANSPORTING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS.
KAYAGA: URBAN BARANGAY, POPULATION 11,716 (2020),
ACCOUNTING FOR 12.49% OF KABACAN’S TOTAL OF 77,164. IN
2015, IT RECORDED 10,904 RESIDENTS IN 2,279 HOUSEHOLDS,
AVERAGING 4.78 PER HOUSEHOLD. KAYAGA FUNCTIONS AS A
HUB FOR COMMERCE, EDUCATION, AND SERVICES.
THE DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE SHOWS KAYAGA’S URBAN GROWTH
AND SERVICE DEMAND, WHILE MAGATOS REMAINS PREDOMINANTLY
AGRICULTURAL. STRENGTHENING ROAD LINKS BETWEEN THEM WOULD
IMPROVE TRADE AND ACCESS TO SERVICES.
ii. ROUTE IDENTIFICATION
R1 AND R2: ALTERNATIVE ROUTES DESIGNED TO SHORTEN
TRAVEL.
R3: A BARANGAY ROAD SUPPORTING LOCAL ACCESS TO FARMS
AND RESIDENCES.
II. RECONNAISSANCE SURVEY
THE RECONNAISSANCE CONFIRMED THE FEASIBILITY OF THE
ALIGNMENTS:
R1: CONNECTS PUROK LAGUNDUNGAN (MAGATOS) TO SITIO
LITON (KAYAGA). SERVES AS THE MOST STRATEGIC LINK,
CONNECTING RURAL AND URBAN CENTERS.
R2: CONNECTS PUROK BINAKUAN TO PUROK CENTER
(MAGATOS). IMPROVES MOVEMENT WITHIN MAGATOS AND
PROVIDES BETTER ACCESS TO SMALL COMMERCIAL AREAS.
R3: CONNECTS PUROK MAGALAW (MAGATOS) TO SITIO TAN
(KAYAGA). PRIMARILY SUPPORTS AGRICULTURE AND LOCAL
TRADE.
ALL THREE ARE DIRECT ALIGNMENTS WITH NO MAJOR CROSSINGS,
MINIMIZING CONSTRUCTION CHALLENGES.
III. PRELIMINARY LOCATION SURVEY AND EVALUATION
i. ENVIRONMENTAL EVALUATION
ALL ROUTES TRAVERSE FLATLAND TERRAIN, REDUCING
CONSTRUCTION DIFFICULTY. NO SIGNIFICANT WATER BODIES,
HERITAGE SITES, OR SENSITIVE ECOSYSTEMS WERE NOTED. IMPACTS
ON FLORA AND FAUNA ARE MINIMAL, AS THE AREAS ARE ALREADY
SETTLED OR CULTIVATED. AIR AND NOISE POLLUTION WILL MAINLY
COME FROM INCREASED TRAFFIC ONCE OPERATIONAL.
ii. ECONOMIC EVALUATION
CONSTRUCTION COST: FAVORABLE ACROSS ROUTES DUE TO
TERRAIN; R1 MAY REQUIRE ADDITIONAL ROW SINCE IT LINKS
TWO BARANGAYS.
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE: R1 LIKELY HIGHER DUE TO
HEAVIER USE; R2 AND R3 EXPECTED TO HAVE LOWER COSTS.
VEHICLE OPERATING COST & TIME SAVINGS:
R1 OFFERS THE LARGEST REDUCTION IN TRAVEL TIME AND
DISTANCE, PROVIDING DIRECT ACCESS BETWEEN MAGATOS
AND KAYAGA.
R2 IMPROVES INTRA-BARANGAY MOVEMENT IN MAGATOS.
R3 SHORTENS FARM-TO-MARKET TRANSPORT, BENEFITING
AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITY.
RECOMMENDATION
ROAD 1 (R1) SHOULD BE PRIORITIZED AS THE PRIMARY ROUTE DUE
TO ITS STRATEGIC ROLE IN LINKING RURAL MAGATOS AND URBAN
KAYAGA, SUPPORTING BOTH AGRICULTURAL AND COMMERCIAL
ACTIVITIES. ROAD 2 (R2) IS RECOMMENDED NEXT FOR IMPROVING
INTERNAL MOBILITY IN MAGATOS. ROAD 3 (R3), WHILE LOCALIZED,
REMAINS ESSENTIAL FOR COMMUNITY-LEVEL ACCESSIBILITY AND
AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT.
