Rama: DPWH to give nearly P1B in infrastructure projects to city

CEBU, Philippines - Almost P1 billion in nationally-funded infrastructure projects would be implemented in Cebu City.

This was the promise made by Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Rodolfo Singson in a meeting with Mayor Michael Rama past 5 p.m. yesterday at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino.

“The DPWH secretary is very clear that they will seriously produce the money for the infrastructure projects. The national government will be helping us,” Rama told reporters after the meeting.

The promise was in response to the city’s request for the prioritization of P886.3 million worth of infrastructure projects.

The national government has already allocated P356 million for road concreting and asphalt overlay through its Department of Tourism (DOT)-DPWH Convergence program.

In particular, the amount was used in Legaspi St., Barangay San Roque (P23 million); N.G Escario St., Barangay Kamputhaw (P19 million); A. Soriano St., Barangay Carreta (P55 million); T. Padilla St., Barangay T. Padilla (P38 million); D. Gaisano St., B. Benedicto St., and 13th Ave. in Barangay Carreta (P55 million); Leon Kilat St., Barangay Kalubihan (P25 million); Doña Modesta St., Barangay Lahug (P20 million); E. Sabellano St., Barangay Punta Princesa P58 million; and  S. Osmeña Blvd., Barangay Tinago (P63 million).

The amount is P156 million higher than what Singson announced before.

Meanwhile, the Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) board has endorsed P530.3 million to DPWH as budget appropriation in preparation for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in 2015 and the International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) in 2016.

The amount represents P470 million for traffic signalization, P60 million for flaring of intersections, and P300,000 for offset loading and unloading bays.

Cebu City’s traffic management is mainly through signalization by the Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System (SCATS) traffic light system, which was installed in the early 1990s yet.

SCATS was set up under the auspices of the Metro Cebu Development Project (MCDP III) that DPWH implemented.

The proposed junctions where flaring would be implemented, particularly for right turning vehicles, are that of Archbishop Reyes Ave. and Gov. Cuenco Ave. to Salinas Drive; Arch Reyes Ave. and Gorordo Ave. to F. Sotto St.; M.J Cuenco Ave. to Juan Luna Ave.; Gov Cuenco Ave. to M.L Quezon Ave.; Gorordo Ave. to M. Gaisano St. in Sudlon Lahug; M.J Cuenco Ave. to Mactan Road at the Cebu Business Park; Gen. Maxilom Ave. to M.J. Cuenco Ave.; Gen. Maxilom Ave. to Gorordo Ave. and Echavez St.; and Gen. Maxilom Ave. to Rahmann Street.

“These infrastructure developments have been carefully selected to also have long term positive impact to the rest of the Cebu City. It is our sincere hope that the DPWH will consider our proposals in order that we may have a pleasant and orderly hosting of the APEC and EIC,” read a portion of the Citom resolution that embodied the request.— /RHM (FREEMAN)