Daily Tribune (Philippines) - HotSpot
Matching the pace of BBB
Duterte’s top lieutenants
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has moved in rhythm with the flagship infrastructure program, ‘Build, Build, Build.” Under Mark Villar, it has thus far generated 4,199,228 jobs from projects involving roads, bridges, evacuation centers and schools, all of which were funded by the General Appropriations Act of 2018.
“Villar is very good,” President Rodrigo Duterte described the Secretary during a pre-SONA exclusive interview with the Daily Tribune. Calling Villar as one of his “formidable three,” Mr. Duterte continued, “I have no expectation of him to be that good. I was actually embarrassed, but he turned out to be one of the best government officials.”
In July last year, the agency broke ground two China-funded bridge projects: the P4.243 billion Binondo-Intramuros Bridge as well as the P1.229 billion Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge.
In a report, the DPWH said the projects were “to decongest traffic in the area and contribute to a more sustainable social and economic development through an efficient road network.”
Work on the Binondo-Intramuros, however, was recently put on hold and reconsider its design and impact that, according to heritage conservationists, pose a threat to the city’s historical landmarks.
The DPWH also opened the P44 million Adriatico
Bridge in Malate in Manila in August 2018 and the P33.58 million Otis Bridge along P.M. Guazon Street, Paco, Manila the following December.
Also, the DPWH similarly completed the third phase of the Pasig-Marikina River Channel Improvement Project in the same month last year, which is made up of the Lower Marikina River improvement and the balance of the work on the Pasig River that spanned from the Del Pan Bridge to the Napindan Channel.
“It is expected to reduce flood inundation by 18 percent and flood damage by P14.3 billion,” the DPWH said.
Outside of Metro Manila, the DPWH poured P8.53 million for the repair of the road leading to the Caticlan Jetty Port in Malay, Aklan in October and in time for the reopening of the rehabilitated Boracay Island.
The agency also allotted P43.7 million and P26.7 million for the PasacCulcul Bridge 1 and 2 in Minalin, Pampanga, respectively. Similarly, the DPWH set aside P14.6 million for the Samal Bridge in Bataan. The bridges were opened in September.
In May this year, the DPWH started work on three road projects in Mindanao funded by the Asian Development Bank. These include the 23.73-kilometer Alicia-Malangas Road costing P1.32 billion, the 29.10-km Lutiman-Guicam-Olutanga Road costing P989.16 million, and the 15.07-km TampilisanSandayong Road costing P623.26 million, all in Zamboanga del Norte.
Another notable DPWH project relates to the P35.325 billion Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX) Project. The agency broke ground for the 27-km Cavite section of the CALAX in March this year.
The section forms part of the 45-km CALAX toll road project designed to reduce traffic congestion along Governor’s Drive, Aguinaldo Highway and Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road.
The project is being worked on by private concessionaire MPCALA Holdings, Inc. of the Metro Pacific Group under the government’s Public-Private Partnership Program.