Provincial dad wants national agencies to submit list of on-going projects

By Leilanie G. Adriano

Staff Reporter

June 18, 2014

LAOAG CITY—For transparency’s sake, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan is set to invite national agencies implementing various infrastructure projects in the province to provide updates about their on-going projects here.

Citing the Local Government Code of the Philippines, SP member Vicentito M. Lazo said that local government units are tasked to monitor nationally-financed infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges and irrigation systems and buildings among others.

Atty. Lazo’s proposal came in the wake of an unfinished construction of a bridge along the national highway of General Segundo Street in Laoag City, causing traffic among motorists and commuters.

On June 2, the Department of Public Works and Highways of the first district of Ilocos Norte temporary opened the bridge with no railings and unpaved approaches to avoid traffic congestion in Laoag City due to the opening of classes.

Atty. Lazo however observed that the said project lack safety precautions such as putting signage and a project billboard specifying the amount of the project, project duration and building contractor etc.

According to him, the absence of signage and safety measures specially this rainy season at the unfinished construction project needs immediate attention for the benefit of the riding public.

When asked for comment, Engr. Richard Ragasa, assistant engineer of the DPWH-I said that the bridge construction along the Bacarra road in this city was temporary stopped due to continuous rain last week.

He assured that the contractor shall be able to fix the signage, railings and approaches of the bridge soon.

Three more bridges along the national highway in Batac City and its neighboring Currimao town are undergoing construction, causing inconvenience to the public.

“The province will suffer if something goes wrong,” Atty. Lazo reiterated as the lack of safety measures poses danger to motorists.

With this development, the provincial board is planning to pass an ordinance to require national government agencies implementing hard projects such as the DPWH, National Irrigation Administration, Department of Education, Department of Agriculture and the Department of Agrarian Reform to properly inform the Sangguniang Panlalawigan about the list of projects they are tasked to implement within the calendar period.

He also added that with the controversial pork scandal, the passage of said ordinance is timely to promote government transparency and accountability when implementing infrastructure projects.

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