Fix our bad roads or fix the DPWH?

During our 10-day motorcycle trip to Luzon, we rarely had time to go to an Internet café to check our e-mails, so allow me to reprint the e-mailed responses to the articles which we wrote on our way to the 12th Annual National Motorcycle Convention. So here are some of these responses:

"Greetings, fellow rider! I just want to share some road observations made to and from the 12th Annual Convention. Starting from Baguio, I totally agree that the Pines City is not what it used to be; during daytime all the main roads are polluted by vehicles’ foul emissions.

"Ten years ago, I normally would see two to three dozen early morning joggers; now it’s just a trickle that takes the risks of catching some respiratory ailments coming from the dirty air. I also agree that some big bikers are lacking in road courtesy. Between Vigan and Laoag, several big sports bikes overtook me at high speed without the courtesy of a horn warning. One rode dangerously just an inch or two by my side when it made a pass, and tricycles continue to be road hazards. When cruising the Candon, Ilocos Sur area, there was a sea of this three-wheeled vehicle. They wove in and out of my path as if trying to compete or simply refused to give way. It makes one wonder if its drivers were even given the most basic of training on road courtesy and proper use of their vehicles. Both the national and local governments should finally accept the fact that this type of vehicle continues to be a menace to all motorists.

"Hoping Sir that I get to meet you in Tacloban for our 13th Annual Convention if not on the road soon. Thank you. Sincerely, Bing Joven, B0SS member Baguio City, [email protected]"

Thanks Joven, we truly hope to see our fellow bikers next year for the 13th Annual Big Bike Convention… that’s if the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) would be able to fix the cracked, potholed formerly cemented roads in Samar, especially from Calbiga to Tacloban City… something which we also wrote about as part of our report, which incidentally got another e-mailed response, which we are reprinting in full.

"You have to ask why the DPWH cannot build quality roads? Simple enough; with all the kickbacks and the under the table deals, the contractor, which by the way is always Filipino, utilizes shoddy workmanship, uses low quality materials and poor road foundation preparation.

"With sweetheart deals with the DPWH people, the contractor is not afraid of being ordered to redo the work he had done; the inspectors, if any, are also probably in cahoots. Some contractors, if they went through a bidding process, would have to cut costs in order to make money. Compare the highways you have seen with those done by foreign contractors like Hanjin of Korea and you will see a big difference.

"The newly built highway outside Zamboanga City going to Sangali fishport is beautifully done, well graded. The highway in Ozamiz City going toward Dipolog is another. All done by Korean contractors. The cemented highway from the Gensan airport and on to Glan, I understand, was built by local contractors but with Americans supervising and inspecting the job being done.

"I was told that it was not unknown that the American supervisor would order a certain portion already done to be torn up and redone. And yes, since it was US-funded, the Americans paid the contractors directly; not passing through anyone or any office like the DPWH, thus there was no chance of any kickback deals.

"The roads we have built are designed to deteriorate over a short period of time so that they could be redone and more money made by unscrupulous people.

"But I also have seen a bit of improvement... here in Metro Manila. It used to be that the asphalt repair work was so shoddy that at the first sign of rain, the asphalt would ‘melt’ and go into the underground drainage system (and we wonder why we have floods — the underground drains are half-full of hardened asphalt), so that next year, the same job can be done all over again.

"Lately, though I am not sure or maybe due to the Bayani Fernando-led MMDA, road repairs in Metro Manila have improved a lot. And wonder of wonders, the repairing is now being done at night and during the dry season… Dominador C. Uy, [email protected]"

I would like to stress again that under the Arroyo administration, she came up with the idea of the Strong Republic Nautical Highway (SRNH), building "movable bridges" from point to point, opening up new routes for domestic tourists to enjoy. The Caticlan Port is the best example. This is but less than two years old and look at the heavy traffic it is now getting. I dare say that the Caticlan Airport is probably the third busiest in the Philippines, next to NAIA and the Mactan International Airport.

I also just read a news report that Aboitiz Transport System (ATS) vice president for communications John Rojo has announced that his company is now looking into the viability of opening up a Cebu-Caticlan route to service the other provinces of Panay — Aklan, Antique and Capiz — which are so far away from Iloilo. In short, Ilonggos living in Luzon will now find it easier to travel from Manila to Panay, thanks to the SRNH.

But taking the ferry from point to point is not enough to entice domestic tourists like us… we would never go to a place where the roads are so dilapidated. Because it is summertime, motorists are inconvenienced by the dusty roads… but wait till the rainy season comes and motorists would have to endure hours driving in muddy roads. It’s bad enough to be driving through rain even with well-paved asphalt or concrete roads, but just try driving on muddy roads and you’ll know what I mean.

Again, we urge President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA) not just to fix our roads first, but fix the DPWH as well. What she needs to do is take away the decision-making process in the building of our roads and bridges from our politicians, who more often than not, profit from this infrastructure projects anyway. Like what we’ve said, by now, our national roads should be built to international standards and monitored not by the DPWH… Just try going from Balamban to Tuburan and you’ll see how bad our roads are in this supposedly premier province of Cebu.

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For e-mail responses to this article, write to [email protected]. Bobit Avila’s columns in The Freeman can also be accessed through The Philippine STAR website. He also hosts a weekly talkshow, "Straight from the Sky," shown every Monday, at 8 p.m., only in Metro Cebu on Channel 15 of SkyCable.