[ Manila Bulletin Online ] March 30, 2008
By DEXTER A. SEE
P60 M earmarked in approved nat’l budget for 2008
BAGUIO CITY – The national government has earmarked at least P60 million in this year’s P1.227-trillion national budget for the rehabilitation of nine national and secondary arterial roads.
This was reported by Engineer Neri Bueno, head of the Baguio District Engineering Office, who said that the contract for the rehabilitation work had already been bidded out and the projects are set to be implemented during the dry months.
The rehabilitation of the national roads in the city includes reconstruction of damaged portions of Kennon Road – P7 million; Leonardwood Road – P3 million; Loakan Road – P7 million; Ferguzon Road – P7 million; Harrison Road 2 – P5 million; Manuel Roxas Road – P7 million; Balatoc Road – P7 million; and Outlook Drive – P7 million.
Also included in the list of projects is the concreting of Loakan Road (phase II) – P0 million.
Bueno said most of the work to be undertaken on the roads would be the improvement of the drainage system in preparation for the the rainy season and the replacement of damaged concrete pavements.
Baguio City has 72 kilometers of concrete roads and 20 kilometers of asphalt road under the jurisdiction of the district engineering office.
Although all the roads in the city are in good condition, the district engineer cited the need to conduct periodic maintenance work as well as replacement of damaged concrete and asphalt pavements for the convenience of the motoring public.
However, Bueno said, his men could not attend to many complaints of city residents about the poor conditions of the roads especially during the rainy season due to the insufficiency of funds.
He said the funds released by the central and regional offices of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) are allotted for specific purposes.
At the same time, the BCDEO is closely coordinating with the city government and the office of Baguio City Rep. Mauricio G. Domogan to make sure that there will be provision for funding assistance for the maintenance of national and secondary arterials roads within the jurisdiction of the city.
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