Arroyo dismayed over delay of project

CEBU - The delay in the construction of the P2.3-billion Cebu North Coastal Road Project has upset President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who chided the officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways including Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane.

During a visit to the project site, which was not supposed to be part of her itinerary, the president was dismayed to learn that there was only little development on the construction since the time of its groundbreaking rites in April 2007.

“My God, this is a major project and it’s been a year!” Arroyo blurted out.

The chief executive, who did a 15-minute inspection on the site, expressed her dissatisfaction when Ebdane started his briefing on the status of the project.

With the delay, Arroyo ordered the DPWH chief to have his men work on three shifts in a day for the whole week to make sure no time is wasted.

“I want it finished this year. Tell your people to work 24/7,” Arroyo told Ebdane.

It was the second time that the president blew her top over the same issue in 24 hours.

During a gathering at the Malacañang sa Sugbo the other night, Arroyo also scolded Ebdane and Presidential Management Staff director general Cerge Remonde after she learned about the long delay in the construction of the north coastal road project.

This prompted her to visit the project site yesterday morning.

“You have to prioritize what I have told you,” Arroyo told Ebdane after a gathering with members of Cebu media.

During the event, Arroyo was sitting beside Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia together with six Cebu congressmen when Ebdane sat beside the president and presented to her the document showing the status report on the P2.3 billion north coastal road.

Upset by what she saw, Arroyo suddenly stoop up and went to the other table where Remonde was seated.

Being a Cabinet oversight official on infrastructure, Remonde was not also spared from the president’s fury.

“Kaming duha ni Ebdane, naka pisos mi. Tag singkwenta-singkwenta mi,” Remonde said afterwards.

Ebdane said that being reprimanded by the president is part of his job and he will just follow what she had instructed him to do, which is to finish the coastal road within the year instead of 2010.

According to him, the project was delayed when its original design was altered amid the rising cost of construction materials and there were no takers when the project was bidded out last year.

But Ebdane said a notice to proceed was already given to the winning contractor late last year and the stone column of the Cansaga Bay Bridge, which is one of the components of the entire project already started early this month.

“We are optimistic that we can finish the project within the year. We have to, otherwise pagalitan na naman tayo ni Ma’am,” Ebdane said.

The Cebu North Coastal Road Project is one of the components of the Industrial Corridor Link of Cebu Province, which other sections are included under the Metro Cebu Development Project II and III. Once completed, it will improve the infrastructure facilities especially in Mandaue City and municipalities of Consolacion and Liloan which are now the major towns that are considered as an alternative business investment areas because Cebu City is already a congested business metropolis.

For his part, Mandaue city Mayor Jonas Cortes said that once the four lane highway is completed, it could be used as an alternative road that will help ease traffic congestion in the northern part of Cebu as the project will also compliment the city’s proposed north reclamation area.

Once the project is completed, he added that he would sit with the mayors of the other northern towns as he wanted to suggest for the road to be opened only to private transport.

Aside from the north coastal road, Arroyo has also conducted an inspection of the road leading to the first class resorts and hotels in Lapu-Lapu City.

Remonde said that Arroyo was disappointed to learn that “first class resorts and hotels have third class roads.” — /WAB  (THE FREEMAN)