Highway paving project in Loboc included in 2016’s DPWH budget

TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines — Finally, the Department of Public Works and Highways had approved the request of Bohol 3rd district Representative Arthur Yap for the inclusion in this year’s budget the concreting of the Barangay Jimilian portion of the national highway along Loboc town.

Yap confirmed this news to The Freeman, saying that the item for the P40-million allocation for this project can be seen on page 915 of Republic Act 10717, or the General Appropriations Act FY 2016 Volume II-B.

This meant that the concreting of the Jimilian portion of the Tagbilaran-Corella-Sikatuna Loboc road can be implemented this year, although the DPWH slashed the original proposal of P50 million allocation to P40 million, said the congressman.

Yap in 2014, pushed for this inclusion of this project in the 2015 national budget with the corresponding allocation of P50 million, but the DPWH turned it down at that time, saying the road was not yet in a state of deterioration that merits upgrading.

Last year, he lobbied again for this project to be included in the 2016 budget, and the DPWH agreed this time, citing the damaged pavement of the highway caused by typhoon Seniang.

DPWH District Engineer Aramis Torrefranca, of the 3rd Engineering District of Bohol, informed Yap that a P40 million budget for the project was already included in the DPWH Priority Programs for 2016, and endorsed by the Provincial Development Council.

In a letter dated February 27, 2015, DPWH District Engr. Aramis Torrefranca of the 3rd Engineering Office in Bohol informed the congressman a budget of P40 million for project was already included in the proposed DPWH Priority Programs for 2016 that was also endorsed by the Provincial Development Council.  (FREEMAN)