BAGUIO CITY – The public works department facilitated the release of some P35 million for repair of roads damaged by the month-long southwest monsoon aggravated by the wrath of Supertyphoon Ompong upon the request of the local government in the different parts of the city.
In his memorandum for DPWH-CAR regional director Engr. Tiburcio Canlas dated November 7, 2018, DPWH Baguio City District Engineering Office district engineer Rene Zarate forwarded the list of 26 unfunded calamity projects in different road sections in the city amounting to P114 million for the repair and restoration of damaged infrastructures and flood control structures in the city.
However, he noted that only two projects, specifically the Outlook/Pucsusan road component and the Bengao-Balacbac circumferential road flood control component amounting to approximately P35 million has already funding for implementation.
Zarate informed Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan in his letter dated November 12, 2018 that initial project evaluation of the identified calamity projects has been released by the Bureau of Maintenance of the Planning Service for strict coordination between the local government unit and the agency for the implementation of the projects.
Earlier, Mayor Domogan forwarded to the DPWH-BCDEO the list of 28 calamity projects for the rehabilitation and restoration of local and national roads as well as flood control projects damaged during the month-long southwest monsoon aggravated by the Supertyphoon Ompong last August and September this year.
Zarate also attached in his letter a copy of the Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) covering the P35 million initially released for the identified calamity projects while awaiting further action of higher authorities on the other calamity projects in the city that were requested to be funded under the national government’s calamity funds considering as the projects are located in national and local roads.
He explained the SARO will serve as an instrument for the close coordination between the local government and the agency regarding project details or information implemented by the said office as contained in the provisions of laws, rules and regulations.
The district engineer claimed that for the unfunded calamity projects of the city, the agency reiterated the requested for funding for the remaining calamity projects based on a latest communication sent to the higher authorities.
Domogan emphatically reiterated the request for the funding for the city’s calamity projects emanated from the local government and not from some quarters making representations with the agency claiming they were the ones who requested the funds for these as it is clear in the records it was the city government that initiated the same.
He added that it is also unfair for the said quarters to intervene in the bidding of the projects to get their anointed contractors to be awarded the implementation of the projects as this is in gross violation of the proper conduct of competitive and open bidding.
By Dexter A. See
