The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) came under fire from the Sangguniang Panlalawigan last week for allegedly abusing its discretion in the implementation of infrastructure projects in Catanduanes.
In last week’s regular session of the provincial board, Provincial Board Member Josevan Balidoy scored the DPWH for particularly undertaking the reblocking of good concrete roads while neglecting to maintain other dilapidated portions of the national highway, particularly along the Virac-San Miguel-Viga section.
He showed photos of portions of the highway in Progreso, San Miguel and in P. Vera (Summit), Viga where contractors of the DPWH tore up usable roads for a reblocking project while portions in bad condition were not prioritized despite having caused at least two fatal accidents in the recent past.
“I have the impression that the DPWH is abusing its discretion in deciding whether a portion of the road is usable or not,” the PBM from Viga stated. “Kung ano lang siguro magustuhan nindo, iyan yo iyabutang sa program.”
District Engineer Denis Cagomoc, who was invited to the session along with three other DPWH engineers, defended the agency’s prioritization of projects.
He said that the DPWH has a system where the road condition and its defects are inventoried every year, with the data entered in the Highway Development and Management 4 (HDM-4) that determines which roads get prioritized.
Planning Section chief Engr. Rosana Camacho, on the other hand, revealed that 30 percent of the national roads in the province are in bad condition due to scaling, cracks and shattered slabs.
“If all of the bad road sections will be funded, all of the DPWH budget will go to the rehabilitation of roads,” she reasoned out.
On PBM Balidoy’s query on good roads being reblocked, DE Cagomoc said that his officer is not the one identifying the road to be reblocked.
“It should be the district office, since you know the road condition,” retorted the board member.
The officials from the DPWH Catanduanes District Engineering Office apologized for the delay in the rehabilitation of the damaged road sections, blaming this on the decrease in funding for maintenance projects but they assured that the 2024 highway maintenance program is focused on the San Miguel-Viga road.
PBM Rafael Zuniega also reminded the infra agency that pursuant to Department Order No. 157 issued by then Secretary Gregorio Vigilar in 1993 and Section 524(b) of the Local Government Code of 1991, no infrastructure project shall be implemented without informing the Local Chief Executive and Sanggunian concerned.
He pointed to the ongoing concreting project at San Isidro Village, Virac being implemented by GCI Construction where portions of the provincial road which were paved in 2016 and as early as five years ago are being torn up and reblocked.
“This is an insult to the people of Catanduanes,” the veteran legislator stressed. “You should be concerned because it is the people’s money.”
On the other hand, PBM Jose Romeo Francisco, acting as temporary presiding officer, wondered why it is the DPWH regional office which is deciding what roads to reblock or repair.
“Ano na lang ang papel ng Catanduanes DEO?” he asked, wryly suggesting later that the regional office should be moved to the DEO since it is the one bidding out and implementing Catanduanes projects.
DE Cagomoc promised to coordinate with the project engineer of the contractor which he said is coordinating with the LGU concerned.
He likewise assured PBM Zuniega that his office would comply with DPWH DO#157 by furnishing copies of programs of work for projects which are within the territorial jurisdiction of LGUs.
Former DPWH regional legal division chief Atty. Oliver Rodulfo, who was also invited as resource person, said that while the failure to coordinate as well as the lack of appropriate signboards in DPWH projects are clear violations if law, the LGU cannot hold the implementation of such projects as such power belongs only to the Supreme Court.
He explained that Republic Act 9184, or the Government Procurement Reform Act, allows the posting of performance warranty depending on the type of project, 30 years for roads and 15 years for bridges, along with penalties for DPWH officials and the contractor,
“While it is the duty of the DPWH to coordinate with LGUs prior to implementation, the LGUs are also sleeping on the job, tolerating the implementation of the projects and stepping out only when their constituents complain,” Atty. Rodulfo stated.
It would be best for the provincial board to inform the LGUs of the Local Government Code’s most neglected provision on prior consultation, he added.
For his part, ex-officio PBM Joselito Alberto called on the DPWH to immediately repair or provide a temporary solution to the damaged portion of the highway at the Virac-Bato boundary as well as a road section in Bato linking Tamburan to Libjo where several accidents have occurred.
DE Cagomoc said he would personally communicate the SP’s concerns to the regional director.
“Ginagawan na lang namin ng diskarte ang konting funding,” he said, lamenting that the meager release for the maintenance of 315 kilometers of national roads cannot even allow the DEO to hire one laborer for every kilometer.
On the other hand, Maintenance Section head Engr. Edwin Valenzuela had some good news: the rehabilitation of the damaged Virac-Bato road section, including the repaving of nine blocks, has already been funded and will be bid out soon while the Tamburan section rehab is also funded this year.
DE Cagomoc had an interesting reply on PBM Jan Ferdinand Alberto’s questioning the DPWH Catanduanes DEO’s lack of capability to implement infra projects considering that majority of the projects are being implemented by the regional office.
The district engineer from Samar insisted that he did not know that the projects are being implemented by the DPWH regional office.
“We have the capability,” Cagomoc emphasized. “Hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit ganun. We are just following orders. Sana dito na lang na-implement.”
On this, Atty. Rodulfo suggested to the SP that the issue should be raised to the DPWH secretary, along with a request that all infra projects for Catanduanes should be implemented by the DEO regardless of the project amount.
Under current guidelines, the DEO can only implement projects of up to P100 million while the regional office can implement projects with higher allotments.
For 2024, about P3.55 billion pesos worth of infrastructure projects are being implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Catanduanes but 72 percent of the funding allocation will be handled by its central and regional offices.
Only about 70 projects worth a total of P872 million are being done by the DPWH Catanduanes DEO, with the regional office implementing at least 14 projects worth P1.89 billion and the central office another 18 projects valued at P683 million.
Included in the regional and central office projects for Catanduanes are several with project costs below P100 million.