Vergara: Baguio roads being ripped, waste of public funds

BAGUIO CITY – Ongoing road construction activities in this summer capital funded by congressional funds are a waste of public money.  

Former congressman Bernardo Vergara bared this saying he was saddened as good roads made during his term three years ago are now again being ripped and bulldozed by contractors purportedly to improve these.

An engineer, Vergara said in press conference here Thursday, roads made during his term were structurally sound with good engineering design.

He added, these need not be “improved” and it was a pity that these were being ripped once again as done in previous months.  

He said each congressional office is allotted now P1 billion yearly and such funds should be judiciously spent.

Sources said a huge chunk of the budgetary allocation of incumbent Rep. Nicasio vAliping Jr. was allocated to fund roads mostly within the central business district the past months which had created uproar among city residents for the heavy traffic it caused.

Motorists had also observed that such roads were still good and these should not have been ripped and bulldozed. They said the money spent for these should have been used for better purposes.

Vergara said legislation in Congress should be made to make barangay roads categorized as national so congressional funds would be used to improve these instead of destroying good roads.

He said such funds should be used to build alternate roads in Baguio considering heavy traffic. Vergara added bypass roads could be made connecting the Bell Church area along Halsema Highway in km 3 to Sanitary Camp, Pacdal and Aurora Hill, then Aurora Hill to Las Trinidad.

This, as a  group of Baguio-based retirees and residents lamented “black propaganda” on Facebook, on community page, No to Bernie "Matanda Na" Vergara, saying it was discriminatory.

“This page is discriminatory to us senior citizens who have served the city all our lives. We disagree with what this page tries to impress in the minds of Baguio City netizens. Be it known that we the elderly, who have raised our children to be respectful members of our society, can be as productive and wiser than you think despite our age,” said Prof. Federico A. Balanag, chairman emeritus and president of the Blessed Association of Retired Persons (BARP) Foundation.

“This just goes to show what kind of people Vergara’s political opponents are and also what kind of supporters they have this election. Because they cannot show any corruption, dishonesty, inefficiency or incompetence on Vergara’s part after the many years of public service he has given us as both congressman and mayor, they are now resorting to attacking him on his age,” Balanag added.

On the same Facebook page, Moises Cabanatan was quoted as saying, “Ageism is stereotyping and discriminating against individuals or groups on the basis of their age. This page is motivated by age discrimination. Ang epektibong serbisyong pampubliko ay wala sa edad kundi sa kalidad. Vergara pa rinparasa mas magandang Baguio City. Iba na ang subok na!”

Ageism is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as the unfair treatment of old people or the prejudice or discrimination against a particular age-group, especially the elderly.

Another Baguio resident and Facebook user Chistine Evahline Torres Shawne also said, ”What kind of page is this? Kung may gusto kayong ikampanya, huwag sana kayong mambastos ng ibang tao.”

When interviewed about this, Vergara said, “I stand by my record of performance, which we have achieved together, faithfully and honorably well. It is a humble record based on actual, well-documented accomplishments that we have helped Baguio recover from past disasters and served to generate rapid economic growth and development. We have a shared destiny to secure a better future for the next generation.”

He said that he was effective as both congressman and mayor in the past because he and his team were able to establish a system of check and balance for honest and transparent governance. “Governance is not just about government.

“Importante sa akin ang transparent and honest governance upang mapanitili ang tiwala ng taong bayan sa aking ginagawa bilang congressman. Regular kong ginagamit ang ating media, both the traditional and the social network, para ipaalam sa lahat ang akingg awain. Better informed, our citizenry can contribute their own inputs para mapalakas pa ang pagpapatupad ng mga proyekto. Ang media ang check and balance natin. As a matter of attitude, i also encourage every inquiry into what we are doing. Alam ng lahat kung gaano ka-bukas ang aking opisina, sa kongreso at sa city hall, samgabagay-bagaynakaugnay ng trabaho,” he added.

As a legislator, Vergara said he fully supports the passage of the Freedom of Information Bill to empower constituents check officials’ excesses.

 “In the past two and a half years, our people have begun to feel that their essential needs and services are not being addressed with proven competence, characteristic humility, and tested sincerity. Previous to that, basic concerns were being resolutely acted upon based on an agenda of governance conceived in regular consultation with the people,” he said.