Projects put on hold pending endorsement

CEBU, Philippines - The Regional Development Council in Central Visayas has put on hold the approval of infrastructure projects for Cebu City for 2016 until the Cebu City Development Council endorses the projects officially.

The Department of Public Works and Highways has endorsed projects worth P46.2 billion to the RDC, which include flood control, road networks development, repair of roads “leading to the strategic tourism destinations”, and soil protection.

Of the total amount, DPWH proposed at least P21 billion for Cebu province, P4.8 billion for Bohol province, P18.7 billion for Negros Oriental and P1.3 billion for Siquijor.

The lack of endorsement for the projects for Cebu City was discovered during the RDC-7 full council meeting in Cebu City yesterday.

Bohol Governor Edgar Chatto, the chairman of RDC-7, said a resolution from the provincial or city development council is required for the proposed projects can be forwarded to the RDC subcommittees like the Infrastructure Development Committee, in the case of the projects proposed by DPWH.

DPWH Cebu City District Engineer Nicomedes Leonor told The FREEMAN that he is yet to look into matter and check the documents since he has just been reassigned to Cebu City only on March 6.

“Wa pa sab ko kabalo ana kay bag-o ra sab ko diri (Cebu City). But ato nang tan-awon. Ang gisiguro pa man gud nato ron ang projects sa previous years and sa 2015,” he said.

In a separate interview, DPWH-7 Regional Director Ador Canlas said his office has requested RDC-7 to come up with an official request for the CDC to conduct a special session so that the required endorsement can be complied with.

Efren Carreon, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) -7 director, has also requested different development committees to conduct special sessions before April 16, the deadline for submission of proposed projects to NEDA-7.

Leonor said the office will await the decision of the city government as regards convening the CDC, considering that the CDC full council meeting is scheduled on May 22 yet.

SAME PROBLEM

Aside from those for Cebu City, projects proposed by the Department of Agriculture for Negros Oriental worth P106 million have also not been endorsed by the province’s local government council, disclosed Governor Roel Degamo.

Degamo expressed his “frustration” against DA for allegedly not coordinating with the Provincial Development Council on its proposed projects.

Degamo said he is also concerned of reports of dup-lication of projects in Negros Oriental. During the meeting yesterday, he called the attention of DA-7 Regional Director Angel Enriquez to explain, but the latter was not around.

Cebu Third District Rep. Gwendolyn Garcia who was present in the meeting pointed out that the concerned development committee should have noticed the absence of a PDC resolution before the proposed projects could be endorsed to the RDC.

“Proper procedure here doesn’t seem to have been followed I commiserated with Governor Degamo. I know how it is when you are a governor and di makig-coordinate nimo ang national government agencies. Kinahanglan gyod moagi sa PDC,” she told reporters.

RDC-7 approved a total of P108.86 billion worth of projects of different national government agencies in the region, with at least P49.39 billion for the infrastructure sector, P3.73 billion for the economic development sector, P427.44 million for the development administration sector, and P55.31 billion for the social development sector. — Michael Vencynth H. Braga/JMO (FREEMAN)