Inter-agency representatives of the Regional Project Monitoring Committee (RPMC) under the Regional Development Council together with the media saw for themselves the problems being experienced by thousands of motorists and commuters suffering from the twin road constructions as they visited the sites in Camp 8 and Loakan last Tuesday.

Aside from questioning the schedule and packaging of the road projects (see related story on page 1), the RPMC also noted the non removal of obstructions, road maintenance and clearing, communication gaps, and parking along Kennon Road.

On the non removal of the leaning posts at the Camp 8 excavation area, Department of Public Works and Highways project engineer Alfredo Bannagao Jr. said they have already written the concerned public utility companies to transfer their wires.

“We wrote them before the implementation of the project,” he said, adding that Beneco complied immediately. “I’m appealing to those who own those posts and cable lines, kelangan sila rin ang dapat mag-alis ng poste nila,” he said.

RDC chair and National Economic Development Authority director Juan Ngalob asked “While it is true na sinulatan niyo sila, did you provide a meeting or a conference with them para ma-explain niyo yung programa at paano sila maaapektuhan?”  He added, “we cannot help it but the fingers are pointed at you.”

Bannagao admitted that they did not conduct such conference.

On the traffic situation and road maintenance, Bannagao said that they have at least 40 men from DPWH and Goldrich including the project engineers working on the project in Kennon. This does not seem to be the case as traffic police are even the ones clearing the road of rocks that might otherwise cause further inconvenience, the RPMC noted.

Engr. Greg Deligero of the Public Order and Safety Division commented on the weaknesses in traffic management. “Wala man lang radyo at nag-aasikaso sa equipment,” he said, noting the lack of personnel monitoring the movement of the heavy machinery in Camp 8.

The RPMC will also recommend to the city council to conduct a public hearing before approving any road closures such as in the case of Loakan Road, which they allowed to be closed according to the DPWH.

“Naturally sinar-han niyo ang Loakan, but Kennon Road should not have been impaired,” Ngalob said. “Yes, Kennon was not closed but the road was scraped virtually making it closed.”

DPWH also admitted that the road scraped at Camp 8 was used as backfill for the Loakan project. “Partly nagamit yan dahil kulang talaga yung pang backfill ng Loakan. Dahil maganda ang asphalt as material for backfill,” Bannagao said.
“Ang balak kasi namin sa Kennon ay i-pave namin yung one lane, pero dapat sabay yung scraping.”

DPWH was also hit for not putting a billboard with comprehensive information on the projects. Only a tarpaulin containing the name of the contractor and source of funds were installed on one side of the Loakan and Kennon road works. Bannagao said they will be posting a bigger and more comprehensive board soon.

Members of the RPMC also noted that the road widening in Camp 8 might only benefit nearby residents and businesses that will soon be using the road as their parking space. RPMC will recommend to the local government unit and the police to regulate parking along the stretch of Kennon Road once the construction is over.

“Let’s learn from it and hopefully it won’t happen again,” the RPMC said.