‘Epal’ project billboards are prohibited, DPWH exec says

By ELDIE S. AGUIRRE,
Davao del Sur Bureau Chief

MALITA, Davao Occidental – “Nobody has the right to claim that a particular project is (theirs).”

Thus, said Mariano Alquiza, DPWH 11 Regional Director during a press briefing at his District Office in Davao Occidental in reaction to reports that some politicians cunningly install posters and billboards at the vicinity of some DPWH projects, especially in roads and bridges construction.

“That is a prohibited act as per a department order that has been purposely issued to separate our office from politicians who are fond of inscribing their names even in billboards supposedly intended to inform the public on the basic details of a certain projects.”

“You could no longer see that in our billboards, but we still have problems with this epal politicians who have not ceased looking for ways to earn recognition using DPWH projects,” Alquiza said.

The regional director said they are caught between the ire of the people seeing posters and billboards at the site of ongoing government projects, and politicians who think their names must be included as recognition to their efforts in identifying or recommending allotment for a project with their office.

“Politics should not be mixed with (our) projects,” Alquiza said as he also recognized the efforts of public officials to help the projects become a reality.

Meanwhile, Alquiza who was in DPWH district office for a periodic staff meeting on Monday said the regional office achieved the number 2 slot in terms of accomplishments for 2015.

“We were aiming to become number 1 throughout the country, but we only landed at the second spot with 85.87 percent performance based on accomplishment,” Alquiza said.