Fears of overpricing hound P1.2-B Bicol fund
By Ephraim Aguilar
From PDI/Southern Luzon Bureau
Last updated 02:58am (Mla time) 05/22/2007
(POSTED)

LEGAZPI CITY—The Department of Public Works and Highways has released P1.28 billion for the repair and construction of infrastructure damaged by the supertyphoons that passed through Bicol last year. Residents fear, however, that the funds released to the 13 district engineering offices in Bicol will be spent on overpriced projects.

The funds were meant for the repair or construction of new flood control structures, roads, bridges, government buildings and other infrastructure damaged or destroyed by Supertyphoons “Milenyo,” “Reming” and “Seniang.”

This early, residents of villages along the Polangui-Nasisi Road, in the third district of Albay, are questioning the P28.9-million cost of the repair and restoration of the damaged pavement of the road.

They claimed that the concrete road was still intact and its pavement was just covered with sand and the cost could not have gone up to P28.9 million.

Orlando C. Roces, DPWH regional director, announced the release of the funds after Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr. also announced the availability of the infrastructure funds for typhoon victims.

Poll funds

Fears were raised the funds would be used for election purposes, like what happened during the 2004 elections.

The P1.28 billion rehabilitation fund for public works was part of the P10-billion fund included in the General Appropriations Act of 2007 or Republic Act No. 9401 under the Calamity Assistance and Rehabilitation Effort (Care) for typhoon victims.
Senators from the Bicol region were credited with making the funds’ release possible.

Roces immediately ordered the bidding out of several flood control, bridge and road rehabilitation projects.

Up for bidding are the restoration of the boulder dike with concrete facing of the Yawa River portion near the La Playa Village and Aquinas University (Legazpi City), P40.5 million; rehabilitation of the boulder dike with concrete facing of the Yawa River portion in Tagas, Daraga, Albay, P43.9 million; restoration and rehabilitation of a dike along the Yawa River at the Culiat, Daraga Section, P48.2 million; restoration and rehabilitation of a boulder dike with concrete facing and spillway at the Yawa River in the Malabog-Busay section leading to the Cagsawa National Park, P48.4 million; and the restoration and rehabilitation of dike along the Binitayan-Maninila portion of the Yawa River, P48.2 million.

Typhoon victims

Also scheduled for bidding are the repair and improvement of the damaged bridge approach in Ligao City, P24.1 million; repair and rehabilitation of the bank revetment in Travesia, Guinobatan, Albay, P48.2 million; and repair and restoration of the damaged road pavement of Polangui-Nasisi Road, P28.9 million.

In announcing the release of the rehabilitation fund to DPWH earlier, Andaya asked the Bicolanos to closely monitor the implementation of the rehabilitation projects to ensure that the government funds would not go to waste.

Rainy days back

This, after some residents displaced by lahar flows during Supertyphoon Reming expressed fear that they would suffer the same fate if the rehabilitation projects, especially flood control ones, were not properly implemented.
They asked concerned government agencies not to allow themselves to be influenced by politicians on the use of the rehabilitation fund.

“Thousands of lives are at stake here if the fund will not be properly handled,” they added, saying that the projects were crucial because the rainy days are coming soon.