Cosalan: P680 M set for Benguet roads

LIGHT MOMENT -- Benguet Rep. Ronald Cosalan (center) banters with the media during in a press conference wherein he reported his programs and projects. The solon is the committee chairman on public works and Infrastructure in the Lower House. Also in photo are Gerry Evanglista (L) and March Fianza. -- Joseph Zambrano

By March Fianza

Benguet Rep. Ronald M. Cosalan, public works committee chair in congress said Benguet stands a share of at least P680 million in the General Appropriations Act which represents the amount needed for the regular maintenance of roads and other public infrastructure.

This is over and above the congressional district allocation in the amount of P50 million that is expected to fund projects identified by the district offices of the DPWH.

He was confident the fund was bigger by far in comparison to the share of other districts in the country that were unable to submit additional lists for the maintenance of public works in their provinces.

Apart from the budget allocation in the GAA, the amount is further augmented by the priority development assistance fund (PDAF) in the amount of PhP70 million that may subsidize financial requirements for health, education, rural electrification and various socio related projects.

Cosalan said Benguet’s priorities complement the recent statement of DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson that PNoy’s administration aims to have all national roads concreted by 2013.

He added the Department of Public Works and Highways in the province will prioritize maintenance and repair of farm-to-market roads and the construction of new school buildings.

“Our concern is to help raise the income of farmers and bring the market closer to them by improving farm-to-market roads,” he said.

At the same time, Cosalan said education also comes as a priority, citing the need to construct more classrooms and assign more teachers in the barrios.

In a press conference last week Cosalan said that along Kennon road, he often passes by schoolchildren who already have gotten used to hitchhiking just to be able to attend school.

“They hitchhike to school in the morning and hitchhike to go home in the afternoon,” he told newsmen.

He said, this means the province is in need of additional school buildings that will translate to more teachers.

The solon said he is looking at 30 additional teachers for Benguet as an initial increase in the province’s teaching force, considering reports that some teachers in the barrios teach two or three grade levels at the same time.