The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will request for an exemption from the election ban for 106 road projects in Palawan this year.
Engineer Arthur Torillo, information officer of the 3rd Engineering District, said Thursday in a Kapihan hosted by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) that they submitted all the road construction projects to the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to avoid delay.
“Out of the 106 projects, 72 na ang na-bid natin d’yan, inaantay na lang natin ang budget para ma-award ‘yan sa mga contractor. Humingi na kaagad tayo ng exemption para kapag nabigay ang budget tuloy-tuloy na, hindi rin kasi makakakolekta ang contractor kapag walang exemption. Matagal ang proseso kaya sinigurado na natin para dyan na kaagad, walang delay,” Torillo said.
Currently, he said the district has 27 kilometers in the south and 36 kilometers in the north set for widening into four-lane highways.
“Konti na lang ang naiiwan sa mga widening natin, hindi naman din tayo kasama doon sa superhighway. ‘Yong plano ng government as requirement ng BIMB-EAGA, hindi na tayo doon kasama. So far, konti na lang ang kailangan natin ayusin, sa north at south,” he said.
Torillo also apologized for the inconvenience caused by the road widening projects in some areas of Puerto Princesa City, including Malvar Street, Socrates Road, and Rafols Road.
The other national roads, bypass, and diversion roads are also set for construction this year, he added.
All roads are covered by a contractor’s warranty against any structural defect, he pointed out.
“Konting pasensya lang po sa mga construction natin kung natatagalan man dahil ‘yan sa mga technical problems. ‘Yong ibang kalsada na binabakbak ay may nakita tayong defect, kaya inaayos na kaagad ng contractor dahil under warranty pa ‘yan. Basta hopefully matapos namin ang road widening as long as may budget na, kasama na d’yan ang mga bypass road ‘yong connecting to national road,” Torillo said.
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