DPWH exec cites “legacies” after retirement on Dec. 31

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY – The elevation and transformation to modernity of the AB Fernandez Avenue in this city is one of his legacies to the people here and at the Department of Public Works & Highway he would be looking after his retirement on December 31 this year, a District Engineer (DE) cited.

DE Rodolfo “Boy” Dion, who supervised two congressional districts in Pangasinan, said that without the transformation of the AB Fernandez Highway from its previous asphalt condition it would now become a state of disrepair.

“Siyempre existing asphalt iyan kung hindi na improve iyan panahon ngayon nasira na,” he stressed.

Dion supervises the Second and Fourth Congressional Districts at his office based in Lingayen, Pangasinan.

The two districts are represented by Congressmen Leopoldo Bataoil and Christopher de Venecia, respectively.

BRASS – Retiring Department of Public Works & Highway’s District Engineer Rodolfo “Boy” Dion (left) of the 2^nd Pangasinan Engineering District poses with former Five-Time House Speaker Jose de Venecia during the latter 81^st birthday held in Manila recently.

He said the four lanes with state-of-art drainage systems’ Avenue is the best infrastructure project he had implemented.

“It used to have knee-deep water whenever typhoons scourge the city,” he referred to the stretch of AB Fernandez where the government in early 2000s allotted P49 million for its elevation and construction of huge drainage system.

He cited his other major accomplishments in transforming in early and middle of 2000s the pathetic states of the highways in Arellano Bani,  Barangay Bunoan, Barangay Tapuac, and others.

He mentioned also the world class almost three kilometers four lanes highway the Judge Jose de Venecia Extension Highways, that can be compared with those expressways in Luzon, that was funded by billions of pesos from the national coffer and the Japanese loan.

“De Venecia Highway regional office iyon, pero joint kami”.

He chuckled when told that one of his feats was asphalting the two kilometers rough and tumble “Abortion Road” at the Tambac- Tebeng Areas after his two predecessors failed to pave it on their short stint in 2013-2014.

“If you want to fix a badly conditioned road, you don’t need a SARO to expedite the project,” he said.
He stressed that he immediately used his office funds and asked some friends in the construction business to pool some P40, 000 for diesel of the grader, gravel, asphalt, and snacks for the crew to repair it.

Radio announcers who were working at a radio station near the area have been mocking the untreated pot marked and moon cratered highway as “Abortion Road” as it could abort the fetus of a pregnant woman who was inside a bouncing vehicle that ply the area.

Dion said after finishing in 1976 his degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Pangasinan, he hurdled the board examination for engineering in 1977, and worked as Civil Engineer at the Department of Public and Highways.

“DPW, Department of Public Highways, separate pa iyong Public Works. May national government ang city meron  employees sa  DPH ang City”.

He recalled that after San Carlos City he was transferred at the Second Pangasinan Engineering Office that was then based in Calasiao, Pangasinan as Chief of the Maintenance Section with a rank of Engineer – 3.

He narrated that he was promoted to Assistant District Engineer in 1998 in Alaminos City, then as District Engineer (DE) in 1999. He said he became the DE in 1999 at the relocated Pangasinan’s 2nd Engineering Office in Lingayen where he stayed there up to 2013.

 “One year sa Ilocos Sur in 2013 and back in 2014 to December 31, 2017 sa Lingayen”.

When asked if he had regrets working with the DPWH after passing the board examination in 1977, he retorted:

“Mandatory na iyan! My civil engineering profession was fulfilled”.