CARIGARA, Leyte—It may be among the poorest places in the country, but visitors are amazed by the long stretch of road railings and road signs in Leyte’s second congressional district.
These are not even limited to major highways in the district’s 14 towns. Some are installed along farmlands and residential areas, while others are in the interior barangays that are not often reached by vehicles.
A “waste of public funds,” some residents comment. The railings and signs cost more than P200 million, or almost half of the combined Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) share of the 14 towns, amounting to P480 million.
But for Carigara Mayor Trinidad Apostol, the road signs not only add beauty to the district but also provide safety to motorists.
Apostol was district representative when the road railings and signs were put up from 2008 to 2009. Her husband, Sergio Apostol, now occupies her seat in Congress while she takes the helm of the Carigara municipal government after the couple won in the 2010 elections.
P200-M project
Apostol could not recall the exact project cost, but said it was more than P200 million. The funds came from the road user’s tax.
The second district, which has a combined land area of 1,394 square kilometers, is considered one of the poorest in the country. It is composed of Carigara (once considered the seat of Catholicism in Eastern Visayas), Barugo, Burauen, Capoocan, Dagami, Dulag, Jaro, Julita, La Paz, MacArthur, Mayorga, Pastrana, Tabon-tabon and Tunga.
Most of the district’s over 400,000 residents depend on farming and copra as main sources of income.
Tunga is the poorest municipality, with an income classification of sixth class (annual income of just over P15 million).
When the Department of Public Works and Highways started installing the road signs and railings in 2008, many residents were surprised, especially when some were placed in the hinterland barangays and some farmlands.
Interior areas
A barangay councilor of Santarin in Barugo, who asked not to be named for fear of political retribution, says he could not understand why the railings were put up at their village. The railings are at least 200 meters long.
“I find these road signs useless. Our barangay is not located along the main highway where these road signs are more needed,” the councilor says. “(These are) just a waste of public funds,” he adds.
In several barangays in Barugo, the road signs and railings are also present.
These had caused some accidents in Barangay Baruguhay Central in Carigara, according to a resident named Pablo Zacarias, 28.
Zacarias says “potpot” (tricycle) drivers like him find it so difficult to maneuver because the railings have made the road narrow.
“Just last month, a potpot was rammed by a passenger van because the potpot driver was trying to maneuver the vehicle to the safe side of the road,” he says.
An engineer at the Leyte engineering sub-district, who also asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to talk about the matter, said the road signs were important because these provide directions to motorists.
But he could not tell why road signs and railings were placed even in the remote barangays.
Motorists’ protection
Mayor Apostol insists that these are meant to protect the motorists.
“My role here is just to endorse the project and help fast-track the release of the funds. This project was made upon the request of my district engineer where these railings are to be installed,” she says.
She maintains that the project was above board and challenges the Commission on Audit to scrutinize all projects, including the road signs and railings, that she undertook when she was congresswoman for nine years.
She, however, acknowledges that some people might have received commissions, as these “could not be avoided.”
The district engineer, Maya Junia, agrees with her. The idea, she says, stemmed from the 2006 visit of members of the Road Board who noticed that the district lacked some road signs.
“It is part of our mandate to make our roads not only passable but also safe for our road users,” Junia says.
The seven-member Road Board was created in 2000 to ensure the efficient management of the road user’s tax. It is composed of the public works secretary (who sits as ex-officio head) and the finance, budget and transportation secretaries. The remaining three members come from transport and motorist organizations.
All imported
Junia says the aluminum signs and steel railings were imported, delivered and installed by the winning bidder. She could not recall the name of the bidder.
She points out that before these were put up, vehicle accidents had occurred almost every week in the district. She, however, could not say how many were installed in the district’s 501 barangays.
“There were instances that our office received requests from the barangays, including those located outside the main highways, for us to install these traffic devices in their barangays,” she said.
Like Apostol, Junia says some people may have made money from the project.
“We cannot deny that. But it is still an allegation,” she said. She, however, stresses that she didn’t benefit financially from the project.