CEBU, Philippines - His unfinished projects, especially the concreting of roads in Cebu’s third district, prompted Rep. Pablo John Garcia to decide to seek reelection in 2013 instead of running for governor.
Garcia said he has not done enough for his constituents to merit being considered as the next gubernatorial candidate of the One Cebu party.
He estimated to have completed 80 percent of national road concreting and asphalting projects in the third district.
This was one of the objectives he set when he took over as congressman of the third district, vowing to change its image from having “the worst national roads in the entire Province of Cebu.”
Garcia said the third district has never had a new concrete or asphalted national road for the past decades. Four years later after his assumption, he is looking ahead to put finishing touches on his promise.
“Ato gyud gitagaan og emphasis ang improvement of national roads kay during my first term, mao gyud ni ang problema. Nahibiyaan man ni sa mga nag-una nako,” he said. (We are putting emphasis on the improvement of national roads because my predecessor has taken this for granted.)
“But in a matter of three years, during my first term, we were able to concrete or asphalt, I think, over 80 kilometers ug i-apil ang barangay roads it will reach up to 100 kilometers,” he added.
In 2010, 47 road projects were all completed with a total allocation of P372.7 million.
These include the road concreting in Toledo-Pinamungajan; Barangay Mantayupan, Barili and Barangay Pandacan, Pinamungajan and the reconstruction of dilapidated roads in Poblacion, Toledo City.
Last year, with a total appropriation of P186.7 million, six infrastructure projects were finished while nine others, including a school building, will be completed this November.
“Samtang ang ubang lugar sa Pilipinas wa pa kasugod sa ilang projects ang ato we are already completing them,” Garcia said.
Road improvement also includes the widening of roads before being concreted to ensure the safety of motorists traversing the mountain areas like the Aloguinsan-Barili national highway.
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 7 District Engineer James Dellosa said the third district got P298.9 million budget for 2012.
The bulk of the budget will be spent for road concreting of the Toledo-Pinamungajan-Aloguinsan-Mantalongon Road that covers four kilometers as well as the Toledo-Tabuelan-San Remigio Road, which also spans over four kilometers.
Dellosa assured national roads in the entire district will be concreted or asphalted before the end of Garcia’s second term. (FREEMAN)