BAGUIO CITY – The Cordillera office of the Department of Public works and Highways (DPWH-CAR) was able to get more than P13.9 billion worth of infrastructure projects for implementation by the regional office and the 12 district offices to improve the condition of major road networks regionwide.
Of the total amount, P9.7 billion was programmed for national road network services, P1.2 billion will be used for flood management services, P1.1 billion was earmarked for maintenance and construction services of other infrastructure projects, P166.3 million will be utilized for various infrastructure projects including local projects, P282.5 million was programmed for local infrastructure program, P549.72 million will be utilized for design and build and P100 million will be used for preliminary detailed engineering of various projects.
Engr. Nerie D. Bueno, DPWH-CAR regional director, P5.4 billion worth of major infrastructures will be implemented by the regional office while the different district offices will be implementing over P7.65 billion worth of various infrastructure projects up to the end of the year.
Benguet received the highest funding allocation with a total of P1.32 billion followed by Kalinga with a little over P1.3 billion and Ifugao with a total of P1.3 billion, Mountain Province was allotted P1.1 billion, Abra with P1.085 billion, Apayao with P1.060 billion and Baguio City with P617 million worth of projects.
Currently, the region has a total of 2,247 kilometers of national roads with a percentage of 91 percent concreted roads while 9 percent remain to be paved this year.
Based on the data obtained from the DPWH-CAR’s planning division headed by Engr. Angelita Mabitasan, the funding allocation was distributed to 387 projects wherein the regional office will be implementing a total of 39 projects while the district offices will be implementing 349 projects.
Kalinga topped the list of the number of projects with 104 followed by Baguio City with 52, Mountain Province – 50, Benguet 46, Abra – 39, Ifugao – 37 and Apayao – 21.
Bueno said this year’s P13.9 billion funding for the programmed infrastructure projects is a far cry from the P3 billion annual allocation received by the region for infrastructure projects in 2011.
On the other hand, the DPWH-CAR official revealed six infrastructure contractors were terminated upon mutual agreement of the agency and the contractors because of various unresolved problems by the concerned parties in the implementation of the awarded projects.
According to her, the government is spending some P40 million for every kilometre of paved road in the region because of the need to incorporate the appropriate drainage systems and the appropriate retaining walls to make sure that the road will be passable for motorists compared to the standard computations for every kilometre of paved road in the lowlands.
Aside from the road and bridge projects being implemented by the agency, she added the DPWH is also working on the implementation of tourism road projects, schoolbuilding projects, farm to market road projects and health facilities apart from government buildings.
By HENT
