‘Don’t delay repairs on Andaya Highway’

MANILA, Philippines — If the government decides to postpone the implementation of road and flood control projects in Bicol until after the elections in May, travelers to the region might suffer delays longer than the eight hours logged last month, a Camarines Sur lawmaker warned yesterday.

Rep. LRay Villafuerte said putting on hold the identified projects to fix the 100-kilometer Andaya Highway, which was severely damaged by a series of typhoons and heavy flooding before Christmas in 2024, could mean that travelers in the Bicol region could experience the same traffic nightmare this year.

“Putting infrastructure projects on hold till the year’s second half, especially those planned public works meant to make vulnerable communities highly resilient ahead of this year’s typhoon season, will mean putting these places at risk anew this year,” Villafuerte said. 

He rejected the suggestion of former senate president Franklin Drilon, who recommended that infrastructure projects inserted by lawmakers in the 2025 national budget, which were not in the National Expenditure Program submitted by the executive, be classified “for later release” or FLR. 

“I am afraid former SP Drilon has made a sweeping statement with his proposal for certain DPWH works to be classified by President Marcos as FLR on the ex-senator’s belief that these are pork barrel projects of legislators,” Villafuerte said, referring to the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Villafuerte stressed that the road and flood control projects in Bicol have been listed under the DPWH’s line-item budgeting and, thus, is “not sourced from lump sum discretionary outlays in the annual GAA (General Appropriations Act) and identified by legislators after the enactment of the budget.”

Meanwhile, Philippine National Police chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil said yesterday that traffic along the Andaya Highway has significantly improved following the enhanced presence of police personnel and coordination with the DPWH.

“Now, traffic is free-flowing. Many of our police officers are on the ground assisting DPWH workers in completing road repairs that previously caused congestion,” Marbil said over dzBB.

“I’m very proud of how (the police) maintained not just smooth traffic but also peace and order. People can see police presence on the roads, which boosts public confidence,” he added.

Since last month, Marbil said police had issued about 300 traffic tickets per day, mostly to motorists violating counterflow regulations along the highway.