MANILA, Philippines – A total of 82 projects are currently under feasibility studies, preliminary, detailed engineering design, economic analysis, technical studies, and traffic impact assessment, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said.

In a statement issued Tuesday, the DPWH said these projects have received an allocation of P1.23 billion under the 2021 General Appropriations Act (GAA).

DPWH Secretary Mark Villar said that in Luzon alone, 33 proposed projects have received study funding – the Samson Road to NLEX Connector Link Project under DPWH National Capital Region costing P36.9 Million and the Alaminos-Lucap Bypass Road in Pangasinan costing P11 Million for Region 1.

The Cordillera Administrative Region has received funding for seven projects costing P94.4 Million which cover Mongol-Nalbu-Alimit-Nattum-Dulao Road and Boliwog-Abinuan-Alimit (Mayoyao) Road among others, he added.

Region 2 also received P37.5 million for the study of four projects covering Baybayog Bypass Road and Quezon-Delfin Abano Road.

Region 3 received P60 million for four projects covering San Miguel-Cabanatuan Road and San Leonardo-San Antonio Bypass Road and Concepcion-Mabalacat Bypass Road among others.

In Region 4-A, seven projects received P126.3 million which include the Batangas Grand Terminal Flyover, Cavite-Batangas Bypass Road, and Tanza-Nasugbu Road.

Four projects in Region 4-B costing P68.6 million covering Sablayan-Sta. Cruz Diversion Road and Lubang Island Circumferential Road.

Region 5 received P47.1 million for five projects, which include the Sipocot Bypass Road and Mabolo-Almeda Bypass Road among others.

In Visayas, the DPWH allocated funding for studies of 19 projects which is composed of three in Region 6 costing P66.4 million covering Capiz-Aklan Coastal Road among others; six in Region 7 costing P106.2 million which covers Pamplona-Tanjay City-Bayawan City Road and Mambaling South Boulevard; and 10 projects in Region 8 costing P108.9 million inclusive of Baybay-McArthur Road and Nabang-Gadgaran Diversion Road.

For Mindanao, 29 projects received appropriation including the four projects in Region 9 costing P71.4 million which cover Sirawai-Tungawan Diversion Road in Zamboanga del Norte and Putik-Campo Island Diversion Road in Zamboanga City; 11 projects in Region 10 costing P160.4 million covering Iligan City-Magsaysay Agri-Industrial Road and Dansolihan-Camp Kibaritan-Languindingan Road; four in Region 11 costing P51.5 million covering Panacan-Bunawan Flyover and Tagum City-Sto. Tomas Diversion Road; two in Region 12 costing P17.4 million inclusive of Bolebak-Pansud Alternate Road and Midsayap-Libungan Bypass Road; and eight in Region 13 which include the Libanga-San Miguel Road and NRJ Santiago-Cantilan Road among others.

The Poblacion Sta. Maria-Malungon Road, an inter-regional road connecting Davao del Sur to Sarangani has also received study funding in the amount of P17.4 million, the DPWH said.

“On top of thousands of ongoing projects under DPWH, 82 new high-impact projects are being studied so we can further improve road network across the country,” Villar said.

“Timely studies are crucial to successful project development as they lay the foundation for the implementation of civil works phase,” he added.

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte during his public address on Monday evening (November 23) said he already has the list of congressmen allegedly involved in certain irregularities or questionable projects in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

The said lawmakers are allegedly profiting from infrastructure projects by hiring their preferred contractors and asking for “kickbacks”.

The report is based on the investigation conducted by the Presidential Anti-corruption Commission (PACC).

The Chief Executive however, did not disclose the names of the lawmakers.

He said, it is beyond his power as president to investigate members of an institution of equal authority with the executive branch.

“If I cannot investigate the congressmen, then I have no authority to be releasing their names that are involved per investigation by PACC,” he said.

“Kung wala akong jurisdiction, huwag mo akong tanungin sinong involved diyan (If I do not have jurisdiction, then don’t ask me who’s involved in it),” he added.

Nonetheless, the President said he will submit the list to the Office of the Ombudsman along with pieces of evidence collated by the PACC and the Department of Justice (DOJ).

“I have no other recourse, itapon ko rin yan sa ombudsman (but to endorse them to the) Ombudsman because it is the only investigating agency that has jurisdiction over congressmen, hindi ako (not I),” the President said. MNP (with reports from Rosalie Coz)

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Friday said it has blacklisted more than 20 contractors for violating the terms and conditions of their contracts.

DPWH Secretary Mark Villar said a total of 25 “non-performing” and “scheming” contractors were banned from July 2016 to the present, which the department said is so far the highest number of blacklisted contractors since 2005.

Only five contractors were sanctioned from 2010 to June 2016, and only eight in 2005 to 2010, the DPWH added.

“Let this be a warning to our contractors that this administration of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is serious in its anti-corruption drive and will not tolerate those who bagged big amount of civil works contract but deliberately violate the law for personal gains,” Villar said.

Contractors who violate the terms and conditions of contracts may face blacklisting or be suspended from participating in any government project in accordance to existing laws and policies, the DPWH said.

As administrative sanction, the blacklisted contractor is prevented from participating in all government projects for a period of one year based on the implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act 9184 or otherwise known as the Government Procurement Reform Act, it added.

“This is a testament that collusion between contractors and DPWH officials is not being tolerated. If any of our implementing offices are tolerating erring contractors by letting them continue with their projects without sanctioning them, the Department will not hesitate in imposing disciplinary action against them,” Villar said.

The DWPH chief said he issued on January 31, 2020 a blacklisting order to St. Gerrard Construction General Contractor & Development Corporation— which has P8.861 billion worth of contracts for various projects— for the delay in implementation of a building project in Indang, Cavite.

Also handed with a one-year suspension order on September 6, 2018 was Syndite Construction Corporation, which has bagged various project contracts amounting P5.588 billion due to negative slippage of more than 15% in the construction of a flood control system in Cagayan.

Although thousands of public works projects are being undertaken, the DPWH assured it has implemented systems to ensure that these contracts are strictly monitored and safeguarded from any negligence.

The department said these projects are monitored using drones and geographic-based status reports, which were implemented by Villar, with the progress of the projects confirmed via satellite photography or geotagging to counter ghost projects.

A tech-based initiative called DPWH Infratrack application also facilitates virtual monitoring of civil works projects for more accurate measurement of contractor’s accomplishments, it added.