DAVAO CITY (MindaNews – 26 March) – The Davao City Council rescheduled to Tuesday, April 2, the second hearing on the suspended road construction works in the locality after key officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) – Davao region failed to show up Friday.
The DPWH-Davao key officials are reportedly in Manila for a “business meeting,” sending lower-level representatives who opted to defer questions to their bosses.
Owing to this, Vice Mayor J. Melchor Quitain, who presided over the plenary hearing, moved the hearing to Tuesday, directing the council secretariat to send invitations again to DPWH-Davao, Davao Light and Power Company (DLPC) and Davao City Water District (DCWD).
The next hearing is expected to zero in on the existing road right-of-way (RROW) issues.
Representatives from the DLPC and DCWD attended today’s hearing and were ready with their presentations.
The city council is hearing the suspended road construction works under suspended rules.
During the first hearing last Friday, March 22, the DPWH revealed that 24 and 27 road construction projects have been suspended in 2023 and 2022, respectively, mostly due to RROW issues.
These projects were mostly road renovations, putting revetments, and improving water systems.
DPWH-Davao spokesperson Dean Ortiz said that for the RROW issues, some landowners would not allow their lands to be included in the construction activities, despite prior “negotiations and meetings.”
Apart from RROW issues, obstructions such as electrical posts or wires and water tubing system hinder the road construction works, he said.
During the first hearing, several councilors pointed out that some road portions in the city were rehabilitated in a short period of three to five years.
Councilor Bernard Al-ag said that reconditioned roads must be repaired 15 years after so that taxpayers’ money will not be wasted.
The city council conducted the hearing on the suspended road construction projects as these are causing traffic congestion.
Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte Wednesday last week posted a statement on his Facebook page, calling the attention of DPWH-Davao and all other entities and contractors to immediately comply and coordinate with the City Transport and Traffic Management Board and to secure necessary permits before conducting any road activity “that will impair road conditions in the city.”
“We have noticed passable roads that are in good condition, which you already started to break and excavate while there are still a lot of road projects that are left unfinished. These are all causing inconvenience and pose risk to the safety of the public,” Duterte said. (Ian Carl Espinosa / MindaNews)