URDANETACITYUNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE

#1 San Vicente West, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan

Course Code: Q346

Subject: Planning 3

Requirement No.: Assignment MT 1

Requirement Title: Infrastructures in Ilocos Region
Date Due: Saturday, 28 May 2022, 11:00 AM

Submitted by:

Name: Paran, Joel Rey V.

Student No.: 20181861

Submitted to:

AR. MAYDICKSON A. CRUZ, UAP

CEA- Instructor
 URDANETACITYUNIVERSITY
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#1 San Vicente West, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan

Infrastructures in Ilocos Region

I. Introduction
What is infrastructure?

- Infrastructure is the set of fundamental facilities and systems that support the
sustainable functionality of households and firms. Serving a country, city, or other area,
including the services and facilities necessary for its economy to function. Infrastructure
is composed of public and private physical structures such as roads, railways, bridges,
tunnels, water supply, sewers, electrical grids, and telecommunications (including Internet
connectivity and broadband access). In general, infrastructure has been defined as "the
physical components of interrelated systems providing commodities and services
essential to enable, sustain, or enhance societal living conditions" and maintain the
surrounding environment.

Especially in light of the massive societal transformations needed to mitigate and adapt
to climate change, contemporary infrastructure conversations frequently focus on
sustainable development and green infrastructure. Acknowledging this importance, the
international community has created policy focused on sustainable infrastructure through
the Sustainable Development Goals, especially Sustainable Development Goal 9
"Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure".

One way by which to classify types of infrastructure is to view them as two distinct kinds:
hard infrastructure and soft infrastructure. Hard infrastructure refers to the physical
networks necessary for the functioning of a modern industry. This includes roads, bridges,
and railways. Soft infrastructure refers to all the institutions that maintain the economic,
health, social, environmental, and cultural standards of a country. This includes
educational programs, official statistics, parks and recreational facilities, law enforcement
agencies, and emergency services.

What are the purposes of infrastructures in terms of economic growth?

- According to World Economic Forum (2014), well-developed infrastructure not only

reduces the distance between regions but also integrates national markets and connects
them at low costs to other economies. GDP = gross domestic product, OECD =
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

- The infrastructure is important for faster economic growth and alleviation of poverty in
the country. The adequate infrastructure in the form of road and railway transport system,
ports, power, airports and their efficient working is also needed for integration of the Indian
economy with other economies of the world.

- Infrastructure development is the construction and improvement of foundational

services with the goal of sparking economic growth and improvements in quality of life.
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II. Mapping

MAP OF REGION 1
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A. Road networks, railways, tunnels.

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#1 San Vicente West, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan

Example roads:
1. Manila-North Road

The MacArthur Highway, officially the Manila North Road (MNR or MaNor), is a 684.855-
kilometer (425.549 mi), two-to-six lane, national primary highway and tertiary highway in
Luzon, Philippines, connecting Caloocan in Metro Manila to Aparri in Cagayan. It is the
second longest road in the Philippines, after Maharlika Highway. It is primarily known as
MacArthur Highway in segments from Caloocan to Urdaneta, Pangasinan, although it is
also applied up to Ilocos Sur, and likewise called as Manila North Road for the entire
length.

2. Ilocos Norte-Apayao Road

Adventure-seekers had found a similar spot on a trip to the Ilocos Norte-Apayao road
located between the boundary of Barangays Manalpac in Solsona town and Butao in
Calanasan, Apayao, some 40 kilometers from Laoag.
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#1 San Vicente West, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan

3. Ilocos Norte-Abra Road

Infrastructure is a vital component to progress. It enables the movement of basic

commodities from one point to another. It also open up new oppurtunities for towns where
these roads passes.

Such a good example is the Abra-Ilocos Norte road that links up the Province of Ilocos
Norte and Abra in the north via Nagaparan, Danglas. According to the map, the first town
you hit when you pas this road is the town of Nueva Era, Ilocos Norte.
I have heard that this road has bee completed 5 times according to the DPWH records. I
wonder how this road look like, I thought. So we decided to look into the state of the road
during my visit to Abra. We were disappointed at what we saw. The site of the mountain
to our left is stunning but he road is an eye sore. We saw rip-raps falling apart, numerous
missing lanes and according to young bikers we met, the paved road has not reach Nueva
Era.

By the way, this road is a project another Congresswoman Joy Bernos project. I did asked
Gov. Bersamin what’s happening to this road but he declined to comment. Here’s some
picture we took.

4. Ilocos Sur-Abra Road

The Aspiras–Palispis Highway (formerly known and still referred to as Marcos Highway or
Agoo–Baguio Road) is a Philippine major highway in northern Luzon that runs from the
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city of Baguio in the province of Benguet to the municipality of Agoo in the

province of La Union.

The 47.17-kilometer (29.31 mi)[1] highway traverses the municipality of Tuba and the city
of Baguio in Benguet, and the municipalities of Pugo, Tubao, and Agoo in La Union.

It is one of the four main roads used by motorists and travelers to access Baguio from the
northwestern lowlands of Luzon. The highway's several rehabilitation and development
efforts led to the road's categorization as an "all-weather road", and is the preferred
highway by motorists to use over the older Kennon Road.

The entire highway is designated as National Route 208 (N208) of the Philippine highway
network.

5. Pangasinan-Tarlac Road

The Tarlac–Pangasinan–La Union Expressway (TPLEX), signed as E1 of the Philippine

expressway network and R-8 of the Metro Manila arterial road network, is a controlled-
access toll expressway that connects the Central Luzon region with the Ilocos Region.
From its northern terminus at Rosario in La Union to its southern terminus at Tarlac City,
the expressway has a length of 89.21-kilometer (55.43 mi), cutting through the various
provinces in northern Central Luzon.

While proposals for a construction of an expressway system from Metro Manila to La Union
had been raised before the 2000s, the construction of the TPLEX only began in January
2010. The expressway began operations on October 31, 2013. The final section from
Pozorrubio to Rosario was opened to motorists on July 15, 2020.
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#1 San Vicente West, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan

B. Airports

C. Seaports
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Example Airports:

1. Laoag International Airport

Laoag International Airport (Ilocano: Sangalubongan a Pagpatayaban ti Laoag; Filipino:

Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Laoag; IATA: LAO, ICAO: RPLI) is the main airport serving the
general area of Laoag, the capital city of the province of Ilocos Norte in the Philippines. It
is the only airport in Ilocos Norte and is the northernmost international airport in the
Philippines.

It has one 2,784-meter runway and is designated as a secondary/alternate international

airport by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, a body of the Department of
Transportation that is responsible for the operations of not only this airport but also of all
other airports in the Philippines except the major international airports.

2. Vigan Airport
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Mindoro Airport (Ilocano: Pagtayaban ti Mindoro, Filipino: Paliparan ng Mindoro) (ICAO:

RPUQ), also known as Vigan Airport, is an airport serving the general area of Vigan, the
capital of the province of Ilocos Sur, located in the province of Ilocos Sur in the Philippines.
The airport is the only one located in Ilocos Sur, at Barangay Mindoro (and not on the
island of Mindoro).

It is classified as a community airport by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, the
part of the Department of Transportation that is responsible for the operations of all airports
in the Philippines except the major international airports.

Previously, the airport was considered by the city government as a "sleeping asset", since
no revenue was generated from its operations. Plans were made by the city to expand and
modernize the airport, in part to lighten the burden of traveling to Vigan from Manila and
other cities and towns by bus, as well as to develop the city's burgeoning tourism industry.

On March 19, 2009, Interisland Airlines began flying between the airport and Manila but
was discontinued after a few months due to low demand.

In February 2017, the airport re-opened for commercial flights after eight years of private
use. Platinum Skies, controlled by former Ilocos Sur governor Chavit Singson, began
flights between Vigan and Manila on February 17, 2017 and between Vigan and Basco
starting April 2017.

3. San Fernando Airport

San Fernando Airport (Ilocano: Pagtayaban ti San Fernando; Filipino: Paliparan ng San
Fernando; IATA: SFE, ICAO: RPUS) is an airport serving the general area of San
Fernando, located in the province of La Union in the Philippines. The airport is classified
as a community airport by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, a body of the
Department of Transportation that is responsible for the operations of not only this airport
but also of all other airports in the Philippines except the major international airports.
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It was extensively used as a landing strip by American forces when Wallace Air
Station was still in operation.

No airlines currently serve the airport.

4. Lingayen Airport

Lingayen Airport (Filipino: Paliparan ng Lingayen, Ilocano: Pagtayaban ti Lingayen) (ICAO:

RPUG) is the airport serving the general area of Lingayen, the capital of the province of
Pangasinan in the Philippines. It is one of two airports in the province: the other being
Rosales Airport. It is classified as a community airport by the Civil Aviation Authority of the
Philippines. The airport was built by the Americans in 1945.
 URDANETACITYUNIVERSITY
COLLEGEOFENGINEERINGANDARCHITECTURE
#1 San Vicente West, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan

Example Seaports:

1. Currimao Seaport

Port of Currimao or Currimao Seaport is a seaport located in the municipality or town of

Currimao, Ilocos Norte. The port is situated in the northeastern side of Luzon island and
facing the South China Sea. The port serves as an international cruise ship port. The
seaport is currently undergoing upgrade to improve its operational capability. The seaport
is set to be inaugurated on November 2021.

This seaport serves as a cargo and cruise port.

2. San Fernando Seaport

San Fernando seaport serves as inter-island passenger port.

It serves the City of San Fernando and its surrounding area. It is located in the city with
just 4 kilometers distance from the center of the city or approximately 10 minutes with
light traffic.

A variety of different kinds of ships are available for passenger journeys ranging from
pump boats & fastcrafts for short journeys to ferries & ships for longer journeys.
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D. Dams

E. Power Plants/ Stations

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Example Dams:
San Roque Dam

The San Roque Dam, operated under San Roque Multipurpose Project (SRMP) is a 200-
meter-tall, 1.2 kilometer long embankment dam on the Agno River. It is the largest dam in
the Philippines and sixteenth largest in the world (see List of largest dams in the world). It
spans the municipalities of San Manuel and San Nicolas, Pangasinan, nearly 200 km north
of Metro Manila.

The dam impounds a reservoir with a surface area of about 12.8 square kilometers
extending North into the municipality of Itogon, Benguet. A gated spillway protects the dam
from overtopping. Each wet season, the run-off is stored for later release via water turbines
to generate power and irrigate crops.

Agno River is the third largest river in the Philippines with a total length of 221 kilometers
and a drainage basin at the Project site of 1,225 square kilometers. The river originates in
the Cordillera Mountains, initially flows from north to south, divides into several channels
in the flat central plain of Luzon and meanders westerly through the provinces of
Pangasinan and Tarlac before emptying into the Lingayen Gulf. The dam and its
immediate river basin are protected as a forest reserve known as the Lower Agno
Watershed Forest Reserve.

San Roque Power Corporation (SRPC) financed and constructed the SRMP under a
power purchase agreement (PPA) with the National Power Corporation (NPC) on a Build-
Operate-Transfer (BOT) basis. SRPC substantially completed the SRMP at midnight,
February 14, 2003, at which time its peaking power, irrigation, flood control and enhanced
water quality benefits became available to the surrounding regions, which include the
Northwest Luzon Economic Growth Quadrangle. In reality, all but its power benefits have
been available since mid-2002 when the dam and spillway were completed.
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Ownership of the dam and spillway was transferred to NPC upon construction
completion, as it contributed funds for the non-power components on behalf of several
agencies. SRPC will own and operate the power generating facilities for 25 years, after
which their ownership transfers to NPC.

Example Power Plants/ Stations:

1. Bangui Windmill Power Plant

Bangui Wind Farm is a wind farm in Bangui, Ilocos Norte, Philippines. The wind farm uses
20 units of 70-meter (230 ft) high Vestas V82 1.65 MW wind turbines, arranged in a single
row stretching along a 9-kilometer (5.6 mi) shoreline off Bangui Bay, facing the West
Philippine Sea.

Phase I of the NorthWind power project in Bangui Bay consisted of 15 of those wind
turbines, each with a maximum production capacity of 1.65 MW of electric power, making
a total of 24.75 MW. These 15 on-shore turbines are spaced 326 meters (1,070 ft) apart,
each 70 meters (230 ft) high, with 41 meters (135 ft) long blades, with a rotor diameter of
82 meters (269 ft) and a wind swept area of 5,281 square meters (56,840 sq ft).

Phase II was completed on August 2008, and added five more of the same wind turbines,
bringing the total maximum capacity to 33 MW.

Ayala Corporation energy platform AC Energy, which already holds the controlling shares
in Bangui Wind Farm as of 2021, has announced its intent to acquire 100% of the shares
of NorthWind[1] in order to boost their renewable energy portfolio, pending approvals from
oversight entities like the Philippine Competition Commission.

The NorthWind Bangui Bay Project is located in the municipality of Bangui, Ilocos Norte,
Philippines, at the northwest tip of Luzon island. The turbines face the sea from where the
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prevailing wind blows towards the land. Its location along the shore is optimal, due to a
lack of windbreaks and limited terrain roughness. The site consists of 20 Vestas Wind
Systems stretching 9 kilometers (5.6 mi) over the shoreline of the bay. The location of the
Philippines near the Asia-Pacific monsoon belt is ideal for installing wind turbines.

2. Bauang Power Plant

The Bauang Diesel Power Plant (BDPP) is a result of a build-operate-transfer

(BOT) agreement between the private consortium First Private Power Corp.
(FPPC) and the state-owned National Power Corporation (NPC) in 1993. FPPC
was formed by Meralco, First Philippine Holdings, JG Summit Holdings and PCI
Capital in response to a power crisis in the 1990s. The FPPC incorporated the
Bauang Private Power Corporation (BPPC) to maintain and operate the power
plant after its completion. The BDDP was commissioned on July 25, 1995.

Upon the expiry of the BOT deal in July 2010, the BPPC turned over the facility
back to the national government, specifically to the Power Sector Assets and
Liabilities Management Corporation (PSALM) and the NPC. PSALM-NPC, turned
over the facility to the provincial government of La Union.

In 2019, the property associated with the power plant was acquired by the local
government of La Union.

The BDPP is operated by Bauang-based 1590 Energy Corporation, which is a

subsidiary of the Vivant Corporation.
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3. Sual Power Plant

The coal-fired power station is owned by Team Energy, a company established as a joint
venture between Marubeni Corporation and Tokyo Electric Power Corporation. San Miguel
Energy Corporation is the independent power producer administrator (IPPA) of the facility
since 2009.

Development started when Consolidated Electric Power Asia Ltd, a subsidiary of Hopewell
Holdings, bid and won a $900mn BOOT tender for a 1,000-MW power station at Sual. Site
preparation began in 1995 and construction started in February 1996. It was made
operational in 1996 and full power generation was commenced in 2007.

Due to the presence of the coal power plant, Sual port was established close to the power
plant in 2012. Sual Port a large port for the cargo of coal, and among the largest and most
important coal discharge ports of The Philippines. Sual port is located close to Sual power
plant, and caters mainly to the thermal power plant. It can accommodate ships with a
maximum draft of 13.3 metres and a maximum LOA (Length overall) of 225 metres. Its
Flue-gas stack has a height of 220 m (720 ft).
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III. The Role of Telecommunication in Economic Growth.

- It is widely accepted that telecommunications as a part of infrastructure as well as a

component of information communications technologies (ICTs) are essential to countries’
economic development. Obviously, investing in telecommunications infrastructure does
itself stimulate economic growth because its products (like cable, switches) lead to
increases in the demand for the goods and services used in their production. However,
the economic returns on telecommunications infrastructure investment are much greater
than the returns on just the telecommunications investment itself, because
telecommunications are connected to other sectors of the economy through back-up and
forward-linkages, having spillover effects on these sectors and creating externalities
(Röller and Waverman 1996, p. 364; Welfens and Graack 1997, p. 208).

- Communication plays a vital role in advancing economic growth and reducing poverty.
A survey of firms carried out in 56 developing countries found that firms that use
Communication grow faster, invest more, and are more productive and profitable than
those that do not.

Importance of telecommunication

It Satisfies Our Basic Needs. Information technology and the ability to connect and
communicate is a fundamental part of how our society operates. In today's digital
ecosystem, telecommunication has become the foundation for businesses, governments,
communities, and families to seamlessly connect and share information.

IV. Conclusion
This activity describes Region 1's infrastructure and how it can help with economic
progress. It also inspires me as an Architecture student to design more attractive and
useful infrastructures when I observe the infrastructures here in Region 1.

This activity taught me about the importance of infrastructure and how it influences a
community's economic success. When I researched the infrastructures in my region, I
was startled to learn that infrastructure had a significant impact on economic growth. I
also understand how telecommunications can aid economic progress by connecting to
other countries and sharing information about business and other topics.

References:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infrastructure
• Ilocos Regional Development Plan
• https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-7908-2104-8_5