Contractors trying to get good graces of Mt Prov congressional ‘caretaker’

By Dexter A. See

BONTOC, Mountain Province – Public works contractors are now trying to get into the good graces of Kalinga Rep. Manuel S. Agyao who was appointed congressional “caretaker” of Mountain Province following the death of Rep. Victor S. Dominguez.

This, as Agyao said the province will continue to get its usual allocation for vital infrastructure projects including the commitments of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo even if it is without a genuine representative in Congress.

Agyao bared this during a recent dialogue with local officials and concerned groups.

The lawmaker, who belongs to the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (KAMPI) of President Arroyo, said he will do his very best to duplicate the efforts of Dominguez in diligently sourcing out funds for the implementation of priority projects in the different municipalities.

Agyao solicited the full cooperation of local officials and stakeholders in managing the affairs of the province so that their vision for an economically developed Mountain province could be realized before the President steps down from office in 2010.

House Speaker Prospero Nograles appointed Agyao as caretaker of Mountain province to ensure that concerns of the people will be brought to the attention of the national government after Dominguez died last Feb. 8 due to cardiac arrest with complications from diabetes.

The Kalinga solon said he will personally monitor the implementation of the State of the Nation Address commitments of the president for Mountain Province, particularly phase 2 of the Halsema highway rehabilitation project from Mount Data to Bontoc and the project’s phase 3 from Bontoc to Banaue, Ifugao, to ensure it will be done within the scheduled program.

This year, Mountain Province was able to get at least P864 million for various infrastructure projects from the P1.227 trillion national budget aside from the P70 million worth of soft and hard infrastructure projects identified by Dominguez under his regular allocation for the Priority Development Assistance Fund.

Agyao revealed he will closely work with local officials and concerned government agencies to address the concerns of the province in terms of social services and vital projects that would benefit the people.

But he said requests for funding of projects from the barangays must be in accordance with the municipal and provincial development plans to avoid conflicts in the implementation of projects as well as ensure proper distribution of available resources to the communities who really need such works.

On the other hand, Agyao emphasized the need to continue with the implementation of the full scholarship program of Dominguez to all bonafide residents of the province who are enrolled at the Mountain province State Polytechnic College in recognition of the late solon’s vision for free tertiary education for the indigent residents of the province’s 145 barangays.