Road Board to implement new policies

CEBU, Philippines — Amid plans to abolish the controversial Road Board, its new executives intend to overhaul old practices of implementing road repair, safety and pollution control projects funded under the Motor Vehicle User's Charge (MVUC).

In a press release, the Board's new Secretariat Executive Director Luisito Clavano said the bidding out of projects will no longer be done in the provinces.

Instead, the process of implementing the projects from bidding to implementation will now be conducted by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Just last Wednesday, the House of Representatives approved on final reading the bill seeking to abolish the Road Board, which had been linked to allegations of corruption.

House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez earlier called for the abolition of the agency due to its alleged misuse of funds from the MVUC.

The Road Board, which is now under the Office of the President, serves as an inter-department funding agency that is authorized to use MVUC funds for eligible projects. It also evaluates the project proposals.

The MVUC collections came from vehicle owners upon their registration with the Land Transportation Office.

These collections are deposited to the Bureau of Treasury under four special trust accounts – Special Road Support Fund; Special Local Road Fund; Special Road Safety Fund; and Special Local Road Fund.

Under its new procedures, Clavano said the Road Board, through its Secretariat, is committed to complete processing of funding requests from congressional districts, local governments and other constituencies within a period of not exceeding three months.

These funding requests are those from individual legislators, local officials and other head of agencies.

Clavano said the new leadership of the Road Board and its Secretariat have improved the project monitoring and reporting capabilities of the agency through generation of up-to-date project status reports.

The Road Board earlier announced that it has new board members now composed of Secretary Mark Villar of the DPWH; Secretary Arthur Tugade of the Department of Transportation; Secretary Benjamin Diokno of the Department of Budget and Management; Secretary Carlos Dominguez III of the Department of Finance and Richard Necesario, Sr. as representative of the private transport organizations.

Clavano said that the agency is also reviewing thoroughly all contracts on existing projects funded from the MVUC.

"Because of these reforms, a memorandum circular was issued to all Road Board officials and staff prohibiting any contact or transactions with contractors and other private persons in the preparation of project proposals for MVUC funding and in assisting any party in getting approval of funding requests," Clavano said.

Meanwhile, the number of vehicular accidents in Cebu City has decreased after the implementation of Executive Order 34 or the anti-counter flowing policy of Mayor Tomas Osmeña.

"Sa akong nahibaw-an, niubos ang incident sa disgrasya. Tungod sa campaign namo against counter flow, niubos gyud," said Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) head Atty. Ismael Garaygay III.

Last February, Osmeña signed EO 34 and it was implemented in the same month. 

As of  May 17, there were already 1,223 vehicles impounded for violating the policy.

Sixty-three of which are private vehicles, 27 were taxicabs, 27 were public utility jeepneys (PUJs), 17 were trucks and 1,089 were motorcycles.

Garaygay said to avoid accidents along the way, motorists should follow traffic laws.

"Para makalikay sila sa disgrasya, e-observe lang nila ang traffic laws. Disiplina sad sa motorista," he said. — Shainna Marie O. Edullantes/MBG (FREEMAN)