DPWH told: Don’t reduce flood budget

  

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — Provincial officials are asking the   Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to increase the agency’s budget for Pampanga in 2017 in order to fund additional flood-control projects.

Vice Governor Dennis Pineda said he will ask the Provincial Board (PB) to pass a resolution requesting DPWH not to cut budget for province’s flood control projects.

The resolution, Pineda said, aims to support the appeal of Gov. Lilia Pineda against the budget cut in DPWH’s projects in the province from P4.003 billion in 2016 to P2.27 billion in 2017.

Antonio Molano, DPWH director in Central Luzon, reported Wednesday the budget reduction in his presentation during the infrastructure preparedness meeting attended by Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, local officials, leaders of the Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PamCham) and heads of regional agencies at the Laus Group Events Centre here.

Molano reported that of the PHP31-billion proposed budget for Central Luzon next year, only P15 billion worth of projects were included in the National Expenditure Program for the General Appropriations Act.

The P31 billion proposed budget was confirmed by the Regional Development Council (RDC), according to Renato Romero, vice chair of PamCham and head of private sector representatives in the RDC, the highest policy-making body in the region.

Rep. Arroyo asked Molano to provide information on the 2016 DPWH regional budget, how this was spent and if savings were generated.

She said she would seek a budget increase if the information shows the need for such action.

Governor Pineda said the budget for flood control projects in Pampanga should not be reduced as the province is the catch basin of floodwaters coming from neighboring provinces such as Nueva Ecija. – Philippine News Agency