DPWH defends constant road repairs

MANILA, Philippines — Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan yesterday defended the agency’s practice of constantly repairing roads despite causing traffic, saying it is part of their preventive maintenance to extend the pavements’ life spans.

During the Senate deliberations on the DPWH’s proposed budget for 2024, senators raised the riding public’s concerns that the DPWH’s repair and maintenance of roads, including those that are newly repaired or constructed, are causing traffic gridlock, especially in the metropolis.

“During the design life of these roads, you have to do routine maintenance almost every day, and then you also have to undertake preventive maintenance, so you can extend the life of a project for 15 years,” Bonoan said.

In discussing the weight limit capability of the country’s public works, the DPWH chief cited Republic Act 8794, or the Motor Vehicle User’s Charge Law, which sets a ceiling for the axle load limit at 13.5 tons or 13,500 kilograms per axle.

“This is one of the highest in the world,” he said, citing lower axle load limits in Japan, the US and some European countries.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III said the law need not be amended, because the DPWH can instead lower the axle load limit in the implementing rules and regulations.

He added that making sure that roads do not bear the weight of overloaded vehicles would help extend the life span, thus ensuring a more judicious use of public funds by doing away with constant repairs.

“We want to make sure public works, especially our roads, will last along their time. So we don’t waste our money on constant repairs, and we become practical in our approach by ensuring value for money,” Pimentel said. – Cecille Suerte Felipe