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| Going up to Baguio, you'd see numerous concrete-capped mountains along Aspiras-Palispis Highway |
I have already passed through this highway more than a hundred times in my life and I know that since the steep hills beside the road were capped with erosion-resistant concrete, there have never been issues of landslides or rock falls.
Aspiras-Palispis Highway, formerly called Marcos Highway, is the link between Agoo, La Union and Baguio City in Benguet. It is a stretch of road composed of hair pin bends on steep cliff faces.
During rainy seasons in the past, there were instances of landslides and road closures resulting in motorists unable to pass through. In the recent years, however, of the three majors access roads leading to Baguio, only Marcos highway has not been blocked or closed making it the safest and the most reliable route despite it being the farthest.
The mountain in the picture is sementado, as most Pinoys would say it, is not as scenic as the green ones with trees and wild grasses. There are even ugly mesh wires laid on top of it, probably to hold the cement up. However, I don't think this is much of a concern, as most would agree that beauty should always take a backseat to safety.
