THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) should improve its coordination with Cagayan de Oro City Hall when it comes to implementing projects for the city, Mayor Rolando ‘Klarex’ Uy said.
“Based on my experience as congressman of the city’s first district and mayor there had been no coordination if any with my office. Only when there are projects like farm-to-market roads (by the Department of Agriculture) in which the DPWH is involved are we told about it because we are obligated to give 10 percent equity,” Mayor Uy said in Visayan.
During his Friday radio program ‘Ang Inyong Alagad: Mayor Klarex Uy’, Mayor Uy said coordination is important between the DPWH and City Hall in order to reconcile support programs and activities for infrastructure projects.
Among these projects is the road construction along Claro M. Recto-Saarenas Avenue going to the terminal for westbound buses which remains unfinished since it started at least well over a year ago.
The Roads and Traffic Administration issued a traffic advisory to motorists and public utility vehicles to take alternate routes in order to avoid congestion in the area.
“Engineers of City Hall and DPWH should reconcile their programs (along with City Hall departments). Coordination is especially important since DPWH doesn’t have funds (to fund the acquisition of lots for projects),” Mayor Uy said in Visayan.
Mayor Uy said it’s usually the local government that funds the acquisition of lots for these infrastructure projects.
“Take for example drainage projects. Some of them take too long to complete because the lot owner who’s affected by the project won’t agree (to the government using his/her property for the drainage project). That’s where the local government comes in,” Mayor Uy said in Visayan.
Uy said he will ask the 20th City Council to pass a resolution reminding the DPWH to work more closely with City Hall specifically with the City Engineering Office (CEO) in implementing infrastructure projects in the city.
“That way contractors will be obligated to finish their projects on time (on pain of being penalized) to avoid inconveniencing the riding public,” Uy said in Visayan.
Contractors should also provide safety and ‘directional’ signs to warn and guide motorists at construction sites, Mayor Uy said.
“Lights should be set up at the construction site at night to avoid accidents, especially (on) the national highways. The contractors are obligated to do this. When accidents happen it’s usually the local officials that (get) most of the blame,” Uy said in Visayan. (Stephen Capillas of City Information Office)
