DAVAO City Councilor Edgar P. Ibuyan, Jr. wants Department of Public Works and Highways – Davao Region (DPWH-Davao) officials and their contractors to be held accountable for delayed and suspended road projects in the city.
Ibuyan, the chairperson for Committees on Public Works and Highways, said despite DPWH-Davao’s quality policy to implement projects at the “right time, at the right cost, with the right quality, delivered right on time with the right people,” in reality, the opposite happened.
“My question is are they (DPWH) really capable of handling these projects because sayang ang pagpaningkamot sa atong mga congressman, nga allot-an, matagaan og budget ang mga projects diri sa syudad, considering na dako og amount for each project in the city, gikan pa sa national government (because our congressmen’s efforts might be wasted, considering that huge amounts of budget from the national government were being allotted to each project in the city),” Ibuyan said during his privilege speech as the Sanguniang Panlungsod on January 10, 2023.
The councilor said delayed DPWH projects had been causing heavy traffic, flood, and accidents, making those roads affected harder to traverse, if not inaccessible.
He also mentioned that some drainage projects, specifically the one along J.P. Laurel Avenue and in front of Redemptorist Church, have been full of moss and no barricades or warning signs have been placed to ensure the safety of motorists.
Because of this, he added it makes the unattended drainage project not just inconvenient for motorists and commuters, but also hazardous. He said this would reflect badly on the image of the city to the business sector.
He also received complaints from residents living in Asico Village in Matina Pangi where a bridge construction was suspended because of unknown reasons. He also included the questionable road closure near San Pedro Extension in Bucana because of road construction.
“Numerous times, my colleagues have called out DPWH for their projects that are
either delayed or indefinitely suspended. Not just them, but a lot of people on
social media have been complaining about these projects,” Ibuyan said.
He also reminded DPWH of their mandate, and to conform with Resolution No. 0701-22, Series of 2022 signed last December 5, 2022, which urges the Department of Public Works and Highways and its Subsidiary Offices “to Properly Execute and Comply With Existing Jurisprudence and Guidelines Regarding Government Infrastructure Projects, to Fast track its Present and Future Projects and Finish Them On Time, and Improve its Coordination With Concerned Agencies, Stakeholders, and Local Government Units to Avoid Discrepancies.”
He also questioned where the funds would go if the DPWH’s projects were put on hold for a long time.
“Basically, we are throwing a handsome amount of budget on each project in which it will not be finished because of those reasons on the road right-of-way issues,” Ibuyan said.
Meanwhile, the City Council will be inviting DPWH, City Engineers’ Office, City Transportation and Traffic Management Office, and the contractors’ representatives in their next session to further discuss road construction issues on January 17. ICE
