Workers from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Public Works and Highways will “prioritize rehabilitation over preventive maintenance” in the preservation of the country’s road network, which is valued at P1.2 trillion, in the last two years of the Aquino administration.
In a report, the DPWH said it would continue “improving the smoothness of national highways through improved construction processes, tighter supervision and quality assurance during the roads’ construction stage.”
The agency’s other priorities in 2015 and 2016 include the following: Pavement of the remaining gravel and rough roads nationwide; replacing all timber and bailey bridges with concrete or steel bridges; implementation of better drainage along primary roads to ensure a longer lifespan of the roads, and improved flood control and other climate change adaptation measures.
“The DPWH funding for the construction and maintenance of national roads and bridges is being increased substantially to ensure continued growth nationwide,” the report said.
This year, the agency has set aside P129.4 billion for the rehabilitation of the remaining 15,872 kilometers of gravel and unpaved arterial roads all over the country, which is P18.5 billion more than last year’s budget of P110.9 billion.
The allocation is 67.7 percent of the department’s total 2014 infrastructure program fund of P191.2 billion.
The national road network had budget allocations of P68.04 billion, P78.1 billion and P100.9 billion in 2011, 2012 and 2013, respectively.
The report noted that the “the national road network is the most important infrastructure asset of the government” as “it provides the connectivity to all Filipinos for their economic and social activities.”
“As such, President Aquino has directed the DPWH to ensure that the quality and safety of our national road network is upgraded and maintained properly.”
To achieve its national road network-related goals, the department is adopting the following strategic measures: Good governance reforms; anti-corruption initiatives; better quality and safer national roads programs; public-private partnerships; and effective flood control programs.
With increasing budgetary support, the DPWH has expressed confidence the Philippines’ global ranking in terms of quality of roads would improve further from its current 87th place in the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report.
From 114th in the 2010-2011 period, the country’s ranking improved by 27 notches in the WEF’s report for 20121-2013. In that report, the nation’s road quality index improved from 2.8 to 3.4, which place it at par with Indonesia and India.
Other countries in the region garnered the following scores for the quality of their roads in 2012-2013: Malaysia, 5.4; Thailand, 5; China, 4.4; and Vietnam, 2.7.
The Philippines is “targeting to be in the 4 to 5 territory by 2016,” the last year of the Aquino administration, said the DPWH.
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