Funding Limit for Every DPWH's Office

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

STA. BARBARA, Pangasinan – Every office of the Department of Public Works & Highway (DPWH) has monetary limitation on the government infrastructure project it implemented, according to the department’s top official.

District Engineer Simplicio D. Gonzales of the 4th District Engineering Office here told Northern Watch Newspaper that if a project cost more than P400 million, more than P100 million but not more than P400 million, and P100 million below, it can be implemented by the DPWH’s national office in Metro Manila, regional office, and district office, respectively.

Photo is internet grabbed.

“Depende puede kasi P100 million depende kung saan lumabas iyang pera,” he explained about his office whose jurisdiction covered a city and five towns that composed the whole 3^rd congressional district of Pangasinan.

Other district offices like the 2nd District Engineering Office in Lingayen, Pangasinan covers the 2^nd and 3^rd Districts.

He explained that his office has no part in the estimated P500, 000, 000 proposed 490 meters’ concrete bridge in Barangay Wawa in Bayambang, Pangasinan in case it materializes with funding from Congress.

Wawa is the place where a 20- ton limit steel bridge collapsed in October last year when a 63.5 tons 12- wheeler hauling truck with sands passed by.

He said that the DPWH office and the winning contractor for the project is not expected to pay a courtesy call at his office.

“Oo pag sila ang nanalo. Kasi hindi naman kaya ng contractor dito iyan”.

The role his office could play is when there is a complaint on the hypothetical bridge in Bayambang that he could relay to the national office in Manila. His other role is to monitor the ongoing project.

“Monitoring lang kung ano ang nangyayari. Pag may nagtanong e di sasabihin ganoon”.

If the project is below P400 million and above P100 million, the DPWH regional office bypass also his district office just like what the national office would do despite the project falls in his area of jurisdiction.