More asphalting budget needed because of TRAIN

Members of the Cebu City Council’s committee on budget and finance yesterday questioned the proposed additional P40 million for the paving and asphalting of city’s streets this year.

During the budget hearing yesterday, City’s Department of Engineering and Public Works assistant engineer Nilo Igot said the implementation of Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law has affected the prices of the materials they need.

“For this year, we have P60 million (under the annual budget). But because of the Train law, the P60 million is too small because the asphalt has become expensive,” Igot told members of the City Council.

City Councilor Sisinio Andales asked how much of the allocated P60 million this year can still be used for the remaining year.

Igot responded that the P60 million was already consumed last month because of the expensive prices of bitumen, stone mastic asphalt, among others.

He said the office requested additional P40 million for the paving and retreading because there are still requests from various barangays.

Igot said the P40 million can fund the asphalting of a 1,000-kilometer road.

“Patching lang para taas ug ma-reach sa budget not retreading gyud,” he said.

City Councilor Eugenio Gabuya, Jr. for his part, commended DEPW for acting on the request of barangays for the asphalting of the roads. But he was wondering who is prioritizing the request for asphalting.

Igot said his office only receives request but General Services Office head Ronald Malacora was designated by the mayor to prioritize the asphalting.

City Councilor Jerry Guardo urged DEPW to coordinate with the Department of Public Welfare and Highways to avoid duplication of asphalting or overlapping of projects.

“Akong hangyo lang unta is coordinate sa DPWH before i-implement kay sayang ra gihapon kay bakbakon nila bisag bag-o gi-asphaltohan,” he said.

City Councilor Alvin Arcilla then asked the DEPW to conduct an inventory of all the streets in the city that need asphalting.

Igot said his office will ask P100 million for the paving of the roads in the lowland and upland barangays next year.

The P40-million paving and retreading of city roads and P5 million maintenance of batching plant is part of the proposed P299 million Supplemental Budget-3 this year.