P42 BILLION SHORT

DPWH Secretary Mark Villar assures the projects will be completed before Duterte’s term ends P44B needed to clean up metro’s waterways; only P2B has been released in the last two years

Of the P44 billion needed for the total rehabilitation of all waterways in Metro Cebu, only P2 billion has been released to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) since 2017.

DPWH 7 Director Edgar Tabacon said this is why the agency’s United Project Management Office (UPMO) only has two ongoing projects based on a master plan, which will be implemented by phases.

Aside from lack of fund allocation, Tabacon said the UPMO also faces the challenge of clearing the waterways of obstruction due to informal settlers and other encroachments.

UPMO project manager Luis Paredes said the two ongoing projects are for the Metro Cebu Flood Control and Drainage Improvement.

Scope of works

Earl Carlo Escanuela of UPMO said the first contract covers the seven rivers in the Subangdaku, Lahug, Guadalupe, Kinalumbroker san, Tipolo, Tejero and Bulacao basins that traverse the cities of Cebu and Mandaue. It is funded under the General Appropriations Act (GAA) of 2016.

The project, which started last February, has a target completion of May 2021. The actual accomplishment, as of last Dec. 31, was 45.8 percent.

Escanuela said the second contract covers four rivers, which are the continuation of the four rivers in the first contract located in Subangdaku, Lahug, Guadalupe and Bulacao River Basins. It is funded under the GAA of 2017.

The project was also started last February 2018 and is scheduled to be completed next month. As of Dec. 31, the project was 73.8 percent complete.

Escanuela said the scope of works of these projects include river widening, construction of revetment and dredging. These are flood mitigating measures/structures that will improve the flow of rivers, which are the outfalls of the metro’s drainage systems.

Escanuela said DPWH Secretary Mark Villar had promised that the projects will be completed within the term of President Rodrigo Duterte.