DPWH projects in Pangasinan slump in 2014

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

LINGAYEN – Infrastructure projects in Pangasinan under the supervision of the Department of Public Works & Highway decreased in calendar year (CY) 2014 compared to the previous year according to its district engineer here.

2nd District Engineering Office Chief Elpidio Paragas explained that the declines in the financial allocation of the project in the second and fourth congressional districts he supervises are not due to the revocation of the pork barrel or priority development allocation fund (PDAF) of the members of congress.

“Ang logical reason diyan kasi marami na tayong nagawa during the previous year (2013). Ito iyong mga naipon, ito iyong tinatapos na lang natin so marami na tayong na widen, marami na tayong na re-block, marami na tayong na concreting. Asphalt overlay, lahat iyan so lahat iyan kumukunti iyan tapos na nga iyon e,” he stressed.

He said some of the projects earmarked this year were those programs that were not finished in CY 2013.

For this year he said the 4^th Congressional District gets the smaller allocation compared to the 2^nd Congressional District.

The 4^th Congressional District is composed of the City of Dagupan, and the towns of Mangaldan, San Fabian, Manaoag, and San Jacinto. 2^nd Congressional District is composed of this capital town, Binmaley, Labrador, Bugallon, Aguilar, and Mangatarem.

Paragas said DPWH appropriates only P170 million for the 4^thDistrict while it allocated P200 million for the 2^nd District in 2014.

“More or less P200 million so overall mga P370 million”.

He cited that last year the two districts were recipient of less than P500 million projects.

The project the DPWH appropriated this year for the 2^nd and 4^thCongressional Districts are national roads and bridges, road widening, preventive maintenance of highway, drainage and flood control.

He specifically cited the following allotment for the 4^th District as the P13 million construction of drainage system; P75-million road widening projects along Binmaley-Lucao boundary, Mangaldan-Manaoag-Binalonan roads, and Sta. Barbara-Mangaldan roads; replacement of Lucao No. 2 Bridge; building of a roughly 1.5-kilometer gravity wall, the construction and maintenance of riverbank protection along Pantal-Sinocalan, Dagupan City for flood mitigation.

While projects in the 2^nd Congressional District are re-blocking and road widening along Pangasinan-Zambales and Pangasinan-Tarlac roads; replacement of bridges such as that of Kiray Bridge and Bocboc Bridge in Aguilar; completion of the phase 2 of San Jose Bridge in Baay, Lingayen with its phase 1 to be finished this year; and construction of five drainage systems along Pangasinan-Zambales road with a budget of P20-million.

 Paragas said road widening in general has an allocation of about P10-million per kilometer.

He cited that one of the bridges to be constructed in the 2^nd District was part of the program last year.

“Actually CY 2012, 2013 pa iyan pero medyo patapos na ang taon kailangan natin ngayon ipa-bid sa contractor kung sino ang lowest bidder. So iyong mga tulay na ito dapat maumpisahan natin by 2014,” he stressed.