New Cordillera DPWH chief wants participatory identification of projects

BAGUIO CITY – The new head of the Cordillera office of the Department of Public Works and Highways said identification of priority development projects in the different parts of the region must pass through necessary consultation process with affected stakeholders to minimize the opposition to whatever projects that will be implemented, especially in the rural areas which are dominated by indigenous peoples.

Engineer Enrico Guilas, newly-installed DPWH regional director, said he had given the agency’s district offices in the region the discretion on their priority projects which requires funding from the national government provided such projects have passed appropriate consultations with the affected stakeholders.

According to him, he will be initiating participatory consultations with local officials, indigenous peoples and other sectors in the region which will be traversed by upcoming development projects which will be funded by concerned government agencies and will be implemented by the DPWH in the region.

On the unsettled road-right-of-way issues which is the root cause of the delays in the implementation of most road projects in the region, Guilas said democratic efforts must be exerted by the national government to convince property owners to give a portion of their lots for the benefit of the public with just compensation.

Guilas said the agency will not allow a few individuals or groups to derail the implementation of development projects in the region considering that it will be the public who will benefit from better roads leading to the countryside plus the fact that the property owners will be appropriately compensated.

He added implementation of government’s priority projects should not be unjustly delayed by road-right-of-way claims since there are procedures and processes being undertaken in pegging the prices of the lands which will be taken for public use.

In case claimants will insist on their demand for alleged excessive payments of their properties which will be taken by the government, he claimed the agency will be forced to subject their properties for expropriation so that it will be the courts which will eventually decided on whether or not the affected lots is needed for public purpose.

Guilas said the interest of the public should always prevail over the personal and political interests of some individuals and groups so that people living in the countryside will enjoy the fruits of development in the future once accessibility will be enhanced through the completion of better roads and bridges. – Dexter A. See