Road projects in N. Luzon to start early, says legislator

BAGUIO City, Philippines—Road projects lined up by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for 2012 would be processed and bid out until December this year, correcting the infrastructure work schedule that caused massive traffic jams and slowed down business in Luzon in recent months, Cordillera officials said.

Benguet Representative Ronald Cosalan, chairman of the House committee on public works, said the projects have been appropriated funds in the new budget law and are no longer subject to further scrutiny after undergoing a vetting process by Congress and by Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson.

Singson was criticized last week by the nongovernment Citizens Infrastructure Integrity Watchdog (InfraWatch) for delaying the projects meant for 2011 because of a comprehensive review process that forced district engineers to execute the scheduled road work during the rainy season.

In a letter sent to the Inquirer, Ricardo Ramos, InfraWatch executive director, said he discussed the group’s concerns with Singson on Friday.

Among the issues Ramos said he raised with Singson was InfraWatch’s plans “to hold the [DPWH] regional director [in the] Cordillera…responsible for all the mess.” Last week, Ramos said he also considered Singson responsible for the delays.

Singson, in a series of text messages to the Inquirer on Thursday, said the infrastructure program review was necessary to make sure all subsequent road construction projects are supplied with proper work programs.

The work programs are documents that guide contractors with detailed work outlines, including the mixture that contractors need to produce quality concrete pavement.

Most of the projects in Baguio, Benguet, La Union, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Pampanga and the Ilocos provinces that drew public criticism are due for completion this month, DPWH officials said.

Travel to Baguio from Metro Manila took as long as eight hours because of the traffic jams created by these road projects.

“It’s been a damn if you do, damn if you don’t situation for Singson. But I don’t see any legal basis to [fault] Singson…. The delays this year were a price everyone paid in order to check institutional corruption at DPWH,” Cosalan said in a text message.

“Anyway, come November and December, all 2012 projects will be bid out by DPWH for implementation in January 2012,” he said.

Baguio City Rep. Bernardo Vergara, vice chairman of the House public works committee, said next year’s projects would be processed as soon as President Aquino signs the new budget law.

Vergara said he and Cosalan have started keeping notes of the manner by which road projects have been executed since July.

He said the House committee on public works and Singson have agreed to draw up a list for blacklisted contractors, based on their quality of work this year.