Execs hit DPWH for ‘destroying’ roads

CEBU, Philippines — Bohol Governor Edgar Chatto and Tuburan, Cebu Mayor Aljun Diamante have lambasted the Department of Public Works and Highways for “destroying” good roads and “delaying” road repairs.

Diamante, who also sits as the Cebu Chapter president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP), said DPWH conducts indiscriminate road diggings and excavations, which are causing monstrous traffic jams in many parts of Metro Cebu.

"Naay kalsada nga tarong kay pang gub-on. Unya kung naay mga kalsada nga kinahanglan ayuhon, dili nila ayuhon. Ang mga tarong nga kalsada gub-on aron ayuhon," the mayor said in an interview.

“Daghan mga projects sa DPWH kay gub-on ang kalsada. Pagkahuman dugay balikon unya dugay pa gyud mahuman. Dili kay sa Bohol ra. Mas grabe kadaghan sa Cebu," he added.

The same scenario is reportedly happening in the province of Bohol.

The issue was raised during the Vice Mayors’ League of the Philippines (VMLP) convention held in a resort in Panglao, Bohol Thursday. At least 1,600 vice mayors attended the convention.

President Rodrigo Duterte was in Bohol the other day to keynote the VMLP’s 25th national convention.

Chatto, who attended yesterday’s second Full Council Meeting of the Regional Development Council in Central Visayas still in Bohol, said DPWH Secretary Mark Villar was directed by the president to visit the province and assess the conditions of its roads and bridges.

Diamante also urged Villar to audit road projects in Cebu after receiving reports that several winning bidders subcontract projects to another contractor.

"Although hearsay ra ni among nadunggan pero angay imbistigahon nga kadaghanan sa mga contractors, pero in fairness sa uban nga maayo, nga gub-on lang ang kalsada unya biyaan basta makakolekta na og bayad. Grabe na ni ilang abusar," said Diamante.

Chatto said Villar was also told to hold public consultations on infrastructure projects undertaken by DPWH.

Diamante said the representative of each legislative district should be the one to monitor projects undertaken by the DPWH as the latter also allocates funding for local government units’ infrastructure projects.

RDC-7 Chairman Kenneth Cobonpue said DPWH projects in the region should be checked first by RDC before implementation.

"Dapat unta tan-awon gyud na sa RDC ilang mga projects. They should submit it to RDC at least two months before implementation. The problem is, they will submit it a day before implementation. This has to be changed," Cobonpue added.

The RDC meeting was attended by mayors, congressmen, department heads, and private sector representatives. — KBQ (FREEMAN)