Jonas opens road project

CEBU, Philippines - Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes formally inaugurated yesterday morning the controversial R.T. Colina road project in barangay Ibabao-Estancia, Mandaue City.

Cortes, after the ribbon cutting ceremony, said the project was finished on time contrary to allegations that it was delayed.

“This is where your taxes are spent and you deserve quality projects,” Cortes told city and barangay officials and residents yesterday.

The P1.2 million road project, which is adjacent to the proposed “Bagsakan Center” project for farmers’ products, consists of a two-lane 87 meter-long cemented road with drainage and sidewalk.

The 8 inch-thick road was implemented by the administration last January and completed inside two months with 28 days of curing time.

With the city itself implementing the project, it saved ten percent of the total project amount, representing the contractor’s profit.

The city was already implementing the project when Rep. Nerissa Soon-Ruiz took over the project through the Department of Public Works and Highways and implemented its own cementing project.

Under the Local Government Code, all national projects should be cleared by the local government unit. Mayor Cortes himself stopped the contractor from moving its equipment.

To resolve the issue, the office of the Ombudsman for the Visayas ordered Ruiz to implement her project at the R.T. Colina Extension and upheld Cortes’ authority to implement the R.T. Colina St. road project.

“Ato gyud nga bantayan ug di nato pasagdan nga ang ubang politiko magyama-yama sa atong proyekto (We should be vigilant and not allow other politicians to make a mockery of our projects),” the mayor said.

The mayor in his speech reiterated that unlike others, his administration is transparent and allows himself to be criticized as long as it is constructive.

He said his projects do not show pictures of himself, adding it is the taxpayers who should be credited for the projects.   (FREEMAN NEWS)