COA urged to probe Zamboanga road projects

ZAMBOANGA CITY: The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has begun layering asphalt on highways in Zamboanga City, despite the road’s good condition.

Motorists also complained of unfinished works on highways and rendering the roads dangerous to travelers.

From Zamboanga City to the provinces of Zamboanga Sibugay down to Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga del Norte, including Basilan, hundreds of kilometers of roads were either broken to pave way for new concreting or laid with asphalt.

“This is terrible. You can see the roads are in good condition, but they broke it and then poured concrete over it again and only to put asphalt on top of it several months later. It’s a waste of tax money and we want to see the COA [Commission on Audit] reports on these projects,” a motorist said.

The Public Works department has constantly been included in the most corrupt agencies of the government in various reports.

The DPWH, however, claimed that the road rehabilitation has been programmed and funded by the national government, aside from asphalt overlaying projects funded by lawmakers.

In its website, the DPWH listed all its ongoing projects and contractors in Western Mindanao and can be accessed at

The agency also has infrastructure projects that included bridges, school buildings, water system and multipurpose buildings, farm to market roads, flood control and drainage system, among others worth billions of pesos.