DPWH halfway in rehab of roads leading to top tourist sites

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is halfway toward completing the rehabilitation of 2,072.5 kilometers of roadways leading to top tourist destinations in the country.

In a roundtable discussion with STAR editors and reporters on Wednesday night, Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson said that out of the 2,072.5 kilometers of roadway, 800 kilometers of national roads and local roads have been completed in a span of two and a half years.

“So far, we are wiring 2,000 kilometers of roads leading to tourism destinations which is unheard of in the past. The total budget is P54 billion until year 2106,” he said.

Singson also said this is the first time that the DPWH and the Department of Tourism (DOT) have embarked on a convergence program where they would work together in prioritizing tourism road infrastructure.

The memorandum of agreement for the convergence program between the DPWH and DOT was signed on Jan. 19, 2012.

The agencies agreed to identify, evaluate, prioritize and implement the tourism road infrastructure in priority tourism clusters, development areas in the country in support of the goals and targets of the National Tourism Development Plan and the Philippine Development Plan for 2011 to 2016.

Included in the convergence program are the Ternate-Nasugbo Road; access to Puerto Princesa Underground River in Palawan, including the Bahile-Macarascas-Sabang Road and the Salvacion-Sabang Stretch-Tapul Bahile Road; Ambangeg Junction National Road to Mount Pulag; access to Donsol, Sorsogon that includes the Pioduran-Donsol-Sta. Cruz Road and the Guinobatan-Jovellar-Donsol Road; and the Island Garden City of Samal Circumferential Road phase 1.

Singson said that a substantial length of the 2,072.5 kilometers of road was classified as local roads and these are under the jurisdiction of the local governments.

“These roads will remain as local roads, we only ask that we be given the road right of way,” he added.

Many of these local roads, which serve as entry and exit points of tourist destinations, are now being paved and upgraded to national road standards.

Data from the DPWH show that there are 202 road projects under the convergence projects and only 30 have been completed, 169 are still ongoing, and three have not yet started.

In the Cordillera Administrative Region, the agency has identified 19 road projects of which six have been completed.

In the Ilocos region, six have been identified and one has been completed; in Cagayan Valley, eight were identified and two have been completed; and in Central Luzon, six have been identified and none completed.

In Calabarzon, 15 have been identified and three have been completed; in Mimaropa, 10 have been identified and two completed; and in Bicol region, 16 have been identified but with no report of completion.

In Western Visayas, 22 have been identified and five have been completed; in Central Visayas, 27 have been identified and four completed while in Eastern Visayas, 17 have been identified but only one has been completed.

In the Zamboanga peninsula, six have been identified but with no report of completion; in Northern Mindanao, 15 have been identified and three completed; in Davao region, 17 have been identified and two completed; in SOCCKSKSARGEN, five have been identified with no report of completion; and in Caraga region, 13 have been identified and only one is completed.

Tax clearance for DPWH contractors

The DPWH also said contractors wanting to bag projects of the agency are required to first secure a tax clearance from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

Singson said the directive is covered by Department Order no. 47 that requires the inclusion of tax clearance as one of the Class A documents in determining the eligibility of the department’s prospective bidders in compliance with the Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB) Resolution No. 21-2013.

The tax clearance issued by BIR also indicates the current assets and liabilities of the taxpayers in relation to the computation of the Net Financial Contracting Capacity of prospective bidders.

“This requirement will certainly expose the real capacity of contractors in handling major projects of the department,” Singson added.

To ensure that prospective bidders are aware of the tax clearance policy, Singson directed the Bids and Awards Committee in central, regional and district offices to discuss this documentary requirement in the bidding of goods, infrastructure projects and consulting services under the amended Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Government Procurement Reform Act.