NATONIN, Mountain Province– The Department of Public Works and Highways – Second Mountain Province District Engineering Office (DPWH-SMPDEO) recently bidded out the P54 million that was earmarked for the construction of its new multi-story building in barangay Saliok in lieu of its previously ravaged building in Banauel at the height of Typhoon Rosita last year.
DPWH-SMPDEO assistant district engineer Rolando Mathias said that construction activities for the proposed structure will immediately start after the project will be awarded to the complying and responsive contractor so that the agency will have a permanent office in the area that was declared safe by experts from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB).
He disclosed that the DPWH-SMPDEO building was initially proposed to be constructed in a property of the government in Paraciles but concerned officials of Natonin invoked the provisions of the law that created the office which stated that the same will be based in Natonin town.
Earlier, Mathias claimed that the agency earmarked some P20 million for the ongoing construction of its area shop in the 1-hectare area in the municipality that will serve as the permanent site of the DPWH-SMPDEO to ensure the smooth transaction of business by those having transactions with the said office.
Last year, the heavy rains brought by Typhoon Rosita caused a huge landslide to ravage the DPWH-SMPDEO building that was currently being constructed and several hear by houses of private individuals that resulted to the untimely demise of dozens of workers of the contractors and residents in the area.
He stated that the area where the agency’s building will be erected was subjected to the appropriate geological tests by experts that showed that the 1-hectare area in barangay Saliok is safe.
According to him, Paracelis officials acceded to the assertions made by Natonin officials that the site of the structure that will be constructed should be within the municipality considering that it was specified in the law that created the office that the same will be based in the municipality.
Mathias expressed optimism that the construction of the building will be completed before the end of next year so that the same will be occupied by the assigned officials and employees for the said office to have a permanent area to process the various transactions of concerned stakeholders.
Currently, the DPWH-SMPDEO is sharing an office space with the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) in Poblacion, Paracelis.
He called on concerned stakeholders having transactions with the office to be patient in awaiting the completion of the construction of the said DPWH-SMPDEO
Building in barangay Saliok for them to be able to smoothly process their documents and have ease in transacting business with the different divisions that will be operational.
The DPWH-SMPDEO is one of the newly created offices of the agency to help in effectively and efficiently improving the state of various national roads in the different parts of the country.
By HENT
