Samar Rep. Mel Senen Sarmiento. FILE PHOTO
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte—Samar Rep. Mel Senen Sarmiento came to the defense of Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson in the controversy surrounding the construction of bunkhouses for typhoon victims in Eastern Visayas.
Sarmiento said he did not believe that the construction of the bunkhouses or temporary shelters was attended by irregularities.
“I don’t really believe that there was overpricing. To me, that is reasonable. Nowadays, the cost of construction has become expensive; even constructing a comfort room could be costly,” Sarmiento said in a telephone interview Wednesday.
Describing Singson as a man of integrity and a no-nonsense official highly esteemed in both the private and public sectors, the Samar solon said Singson would not allow any shenanigans in the bunkhouse project.
“If there were some contractors who constructed these bunkhouses not within the specifications, then punish them by blacklisting them. Let them rework these bunkhouses at their expense without the government paying the additional costs,” he said.
He added that a mistake of one contractor should not mean punishing all those involved in the project, or to stop the project itself just because of mounting criticism.
“Let the construction of these bunkhouses be continued,” he said.
A total of 222 bunkhouses, each consisting of 12 units, were allotted for Eastern Visayas, of which 126 have been finished, Singson said during a visit to Tacloban on Tuesday.
The remaining bunkhouses are targeted to be completed before the end of the month, he said.
DPWH officials earlier disclosed that each bunkhouse cost P830,000 and was made of corrugated iron, plywood and coconut lumber with a common latrine and kitchen. Each unit measured 8.64 square meters.
Sarmiento, an administration ally, said the quality of the bunkhouses being constructed by the government was “more than decent enough” as temporary dwellings for storm victims.
“Let’s be realistic here. The bunkhouses are far better compared to the houses located in the slum areas (in Metro Manila),” Sarmiento said.
“And these are just temporary shelters and not permanent ones. Eventually, they will move out… (after) their local government units find relocation sites where they can build their permanent houses,” he said.
About 27 bunkhouses are to be constructed in Samar, the province where Sarmiento comes from.
Sarmiento added that while he welcomed the observations of some international groups and urban planners questioning the quality of the bunkhouses, these remain suitable and habitable.
“Is this a matter of comparing apples with oranges? You know, they (international groups) have their own standards…. They have a different approach from us,” he said.
He appealed to those who questioned the project to support their allegations with facts and not base them on hearsay or even on political considerations.
“We should make sure that there is no politics here. Dapat factual and they should refrain from issuing controversial statements,” Sarmiento said.
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