Prioritize infra projects

CEBU, Philippines - The proposed P2.6 billion worth of road concreting and drainage projects for Cebu City may not be entirely implemented next year as the City Department of Engineering and Public Works was asked to prioritize infrastructure projects, during yesterday’s deliberation of the 2015 annual budget.

The P2.6 billion is broken down into P1.1 billion road concreting projects for the north and south districts and P1.5 billion was allotted for the repair and construction of drainage systems, waterways, aqueducts, seawalls, river wall, among others, which were questioned by the council.

Road concreting with drainage system projects, worth P377.2 million, will be implemented in the northern mountain barangays.

Road concreting with drainage system projects worth P219.6 million will be made in the south district.

DEPW chief Engineer Jose Marie Poblete said the project aims to interconnect the city’s barangays to boost its economy and tourism.

The City Council somehow doubted the implementation of these projects since this year’s budget appropriation remain untouched.

 “Projects with allocations are not yet implemented. The project implementation is still below the approved allocation and it happens every year. You better prioritize what is important and urgent,” said Councilor Margarita Osmeña, chairman of the committee on budget and finance.

But Poblete said they are almost done processing the program of works and estimates, to fully implement the pending projects. He, though, clarified that some of the projects were finished and just waiting for billings from the contractors.

“We will dispose all of these projects before the year ends. But, the availability of fund, sometimes, is the reason of unimplemented projects,” he said.

She told Poblete to be “resourceful” in implementing infrastructure projects.

“This is a very big amount. I know road concreting projects and among others are the concerns of the city but you have to be resourceful. There are ways to collect and get funding like from the national government so that we can save. We have to balance things out,” she said.

DEPW got the biggest chunk of the annual budget amounting to over P5 billion, which is 26.5 percent of next year’s P18.9 billion. (FREEMAN)