Yearender: DPWH irons out delay woes, implements reforms

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will hit the ground running this year with new road and bridge improvement projects aimed at spurring growth and attracting tourists.

Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson vowed there would be no more delays in the implementation of infrastructure projects as what many had complained about in 2011.

“We would implement the projects early because we have ironed out the problems of 2011, the delays,” he said adding that the previous year saw reforms being put in place.

“We have accomplishments (in 2011), although we were delayed. We just have to implement a lot of reforms but it will be a totally different story for us,” Singson said. He said funds will be spent wisely to ensure projects would be of high quality and completed on time.

“We are using our funds prudently. We do the same number of approved projects with the same specifications, same number of manpower but complete them with lesser amount thus resulting in savings,” he said. He said equipment and materials required for this year’s projects had already been purchased, hence, it would now be easier to implement them.

Aside from the usual road right-of-way problems, a major cause of delay in the implementation of projects is the usual request for realignment from politicians.

For this year, the DPWH has the second biggest budget at P125.5 billion or 13.8 percent higher than the previous year’s P110.6 billion.

As of November 2011, the agency had completed a total of 10,254 road, bridge, flood control and other infrastructure projects. It had also completed a significant number of infrastructure projects in Mindanao, particularly in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao or ARMM.

In 2011, a total of P20.957 billion or 26.6 percent of spending benefited Mindanao’s infrastructure.

The Aquino administration has prepared a stimulus development plan geared toward economic recovery and development in ARMM. The DPWH, designated as the lead agency in implementing these projects, has created a Task Force to oversee the progress of each project. Some P2.851 billion had been released by the Department of Budget and Management for the rehabilitation, upgrading and improvement of various national roads and bridges in ARMM. The P2.851 was divided among Maguindanao with P723 million share; Basilan, P513 million; Sulu P493 million; Lanao del Sur, P911 million; and Tawi-Tawi, P211 million.

To help boost tourism, more than P1.8 billion had been released for upgrade of national roads in tourist destinations.

In the 2012 budget, the DPWH would be spending P4.080 billion for infrastructure projects designed to widen and improve access to strategic tourism destinations, major airports and roll-on and roll-off (Roro) ports. The selection of these roads and bridge projects would have to be consistent with the Convergence Program being worked out by the DPWH with the Department of Tourism (DOT).

In Northern Luzon alone, the DPWH completed the reconstruction and improvement of national roads from Laoag City to Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte.

Setbacks

The department had to fend off criticism in 2011, particularly for having contributed to heavy traffic in Metro Manila with its construction of underpass along Quezon Avenue in Quezon City and the closure and repair for the second time in less than a year, of the Osmeña Flyover (Buendia Flyover) along South Superhighway in Makati City. The underpass project, at the corner of Quezon Avenue and the Araneta Avenue, is part of the P430-million C3-Quezon Avenue Interchange Project. A “redoing” of the Buendia Flyover had to be made after cracks on the original asphalt overlay were discovered.

The DPWH also worked double time in restoring infrastructure facilities and roads badly damaged by “Pedring,” “Quiel,” and “Sendong.”

A 1.4-kilometer segment of the Manila Bay seawall gave way during the onslaught of Pedring last Sept. 27. The DPWH started the repairs on the damaged portion of the seawall last Dec. 15.

Also last year, the agency implemented an anti-overloading program aimed at ensuring good conditions of national roads. In October, Singson was named water czar by President Aquino. One of his first recommendations was the adoption of an Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) program. There are some 30 line agencies involved in water management and distribution.

Singson and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) have been tasked to come up with more coherent and integrated programs for water management.

“The approach is Integrated Water Resources Management wherein we are saying that it could no longer be kanya-kanya. This would be the major theme of that proposal which the President has actually accepted,” he said.

“The remaining issues are the functions of other line agencies, that would be affected… It would take quite a lot of doing to integrate all those functions,” he added.

The water czar explained that they would have to look at the river basins, from the upstream all the way to the downstream, and identify which agencies are in charge. “There is the NIA, water districts, flood control and the dams. If there is a dam at the end of that, that would have to be integrated,” he said referring to the National Irrigation Authority. The body is also tasked to find ways of optimizing water use during shortage.