P500 M infra projects set for Baguio in 2013

Br Dexter A. See

BAGUIO CITY – More than half a billion worth of various infrastructure projects will be implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways – Baguio City District Engineering Office (DPWH-BCDEO) in the different parts of the city next year in order to further improve the state of infrastructure development in the country’s undisputed Summer Capital.

Engr. Ireneo S. Galllato, Baguio City district engineer, said that for next year, around 28 high impact infrastructure projects with a total amount of P380 million will be implemented simultaneous with the implementation of around 66 projects worth over P120 million from the Priority Development assistance Fund (PDAF) of Rep. Bernardo M. Vergara.

However, Gallato allayed fears from local residents that there will be again more diggings in the city’s central business district that would again affect the staging of next year’s Panagbenga or the Baguio lower Festival.

           

“Next year’s identified infrastructure projects will be scattered in the different national roads in the city unlike this year that our projects were located close to each other that worsened the traffic congestions, especially in the central business district area,” Gallato said, adding that the increased number of infrastructure projects in the city next year is in line with the commitment of President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III to complete the concreting of all national roads by 2014 and also concrete around 80 percent of secondary national roads by 2016.

           

According to him, the DPWH-BCDEO was able to complete the 18 infrastructure projects worth P208 million last July which is way ahead of the prescribed deadline of September, thus, resulting to a high accomplishment rate even before the end of the year.

           

According to him, most of the projects to be implemented in the city next year are the upgrading of drainage systems, concreting works and improvement of pavements so that roads could be able to accommodate the huge volume of water coming from various rivers and canals in the different barangays.

           

Furthermore, the Gallato explained the 66 PDAF projects include the improvement of barangay multipurpose halls, construction of day care centers and barangay health centers, rehabilitation and upgrading of barangay roads among others.

           

Gallato pointed out once that the P2 trillion national budget will be enacted into law before the end of the year, the bid out of the projects will be initiated at the start of next year so that winning project implementers could already implement their works before the ban on the implementation of public works projects because of the upcoming May 13, 2013 local elections.

           

“We have already studied how to staggardly implement the different infrastructure projects so that there will be lesser inconvenience to the people and visitors, especially during the Panagbenga and the alumni homecoming and graduation ceremonies of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA),” Gallato stressed.