RDC ‘MISSES’ DPWH 7 CHIEF
Officials call on DPWH to be more transparent in setting agency’s project priorities, but Director Ador Canlas says he’s done right by the RDC 7.
Private sector officials in the Regional Development Council appeal to DPWH 7 Director Ador Canlas to answer questions about big-ticket projects, including why some RDC endorsements aren’t reflected in DPWH’s priority projects Director Canlas says he has not abandoned responsibilities in the RDC nor ignored recommendations for a road master plan from MCDCB; differences in how some public and private sector officials get things done surfacing in RDC
Officials of the Regional Development Council (RDC) urged Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 7 Director Ador Canlas to explain all of the agency’s projects in Central Visayas to avoid public confusion.
When the RDC met last Friday in Cebu City, the lack of alignment in some proposed infrastructure projects again surfaced.
For instance, RDC Co-chairman Kenneth Cobonpue and Glenn Soco of the RDC’s Infrastructure Development Committee (IDC) said they had endorsed the P50-billion Metro Cebu Expressway project, which Secretary Mark Villar approved.
However, DPWH 7 only recommended P300 million for the project, yet it proposed a budget of P16 billion for five underpasses that had not been approved by the RDC yet. The RDC decided in Friday’s meeting to endorse an appropriation of P964 million for feasibility studies on three proposed underpasses in Cebu City, and it was that decision that prompted Cebu City Rep. Raul del Mar to leave the meeting.
Implementing all the underpass projects endorsed by DPWH 7 will create “a man-made traffic calamity and will make Metro Cebu a virtual parking area for stranded vehicles,” Soco said.
He said that the RDC wants to understand how the DPWH decides which project to prioritize and why it has ignored a request of the Metro Cebu Development and Coordinating Board (MCDCB) to work on a master plan for roads that will guide all future road construction and rehabilitation projects.
“Ours is only a public service to make Cebu livable. But it is sad that we have DPWH 7 officials who ignored the people’s participation,” Soco said, referring to Cobonpue’s and his presence in the RDC.
“In the IDC meeting, Canlas is the co-chairman. But he doesn’t attend meetings. He doesn’t engage with the public. He doesn’t come with a statement. He is hiding from the public. He doesn’t talk with the stakeholders on their concerns,” Soco said.
Expert planning
When asked about this, Canlas said he is not evading IDC and RDC meetings but has to attend to “enormous responsibilities” in the whole region and has to prioritize his official functions. Canlas said he has designated representatives when he is unable to attend such meetings, and explained it is also his way of training people in the agency to be more aware of DPWH’s different responsibilities.
As to the P300-million allocation for the Metro Cebu Expressway, Canlas said it was included in the 2018 General Appropriations Act (GAA) as proposed by the DPWH Central Office.
“For this specific case, it is the initial contention of DPWH 7 to wait until the NEDA-ICC will complete its evaluation of the feasi- bility study of the said project, wherein it will then determine the appropriate source of funding for the civil works,” Canlas said.
The National Economic and Development Authority’s (NEDA) director-general co-chairs the Investment Coordination Committee (ICC) along with the finance secretary. The ICC advises the President about major national projects, including when to implement them and how to finance them. Part of each RDC’s functions is to review and endorse the proposed annual budgets of regional agencies and to monitor how effective their projects are.
Canlas also said he did not ignore the MCDCB’s recommendation for a road master plan, and that a feasibility study is ongoing on proposed solutions to the heavy traffic in Metro Cebu.
“This study which is already ongoing, complemented by other big-ticket road capacity enhancement projects being pursued by DPWH 7, all together, are aimed to address traffic woes of the metropolis,” Canlas said.
Meanwhile, Gordon Alan Joseph of the MCDCB and Cebu Business Club welcomed the RDC’s support for “expert planning as the basis for infrastructure development.” He said in a Facebook post on Saturday that MCDCB “has been working with international and local experts to bring a culture of collaboration and expert planning to infrastructure development in Cebu.”
“We in Mega Cebu were amazed when our expert-developed infrastructure recommendations were just ignored by politicians and DPWH. I am glad the new RDC believes in expert planning as the basis for infrastructure development,” Joseph said.