DPWH ‘deserves praise for EDSA rehab’

MANILA, Philippines - Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Rogelio Singson deserves the support of the public for his EDSA rehabilitation project, Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano III said yesterday.

“We should praise him instead of criticizing him for repairing this main highway every weekend,” he said.

Albano made the statement after Singson received flak for the delayed reopening of several portions of EDSA that construction crews repaired during the Holy Week.

The criticisms came from Metro Manilans who were going back to the city from their vacation in the provinces and who experienced heavy traffic due to the repair work that was still ongoing.

Singson promised that work would be done by Monday morning. However, several repairs had not been finished or crews were still awaiting the concrete to be completely dry before reopening the road to vehicular traffic.

The highways chief has apologized for the delay and the inconvenience it has caused motorists.

Making do

Albano said the DPWH is obviously making do with whatever time, resources and personnel it has to rehabilitate EDSA.

“We should support them in this endeavor. After all, it is us motorists who will enjoy traveling along an improved EDSA,” he said.

People should understand that Metro Manila’s main highway was built only for half the number of vehicles that is now traversing its length, Albano said.

“You can imagine the pounding it receives every day from this number of vehicles that is double its capacity,” he added.

He pointed out that if Singson and his crews do not take advantage of the little time they have to repair EDSA, the highway would be so full of potholes that even buses would not be able to cross it.

Albano suggested that the DPWH chief punish his personnel or contractors who were remiss in their job and who did not share his sense of urgency in improving EDSA.

Blacklist contractors

Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo, chairman of the House committee on Metro Manila development, called for the immediate blacklisting of private contractors that failed to meet their deadline in the reblocking of portions of the 26-kilometer EDSA.

He urged the DPWH to name the contractors, which “do not have any sense of urgency and refuse to acknowledge the public interest in their contracts with government.”

He said the DPWH should enforce the clauses where private contractors have to pay the government enormous sums for every day of delay of their contracted works.