BY GEROME DALIPE IV
ILOILO City – This city government is putting significant pressure on the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region 6 due to delays in various infrastructure projects within the metropolis.
In his letter dated July 1, City Administrator Melchor Tan asked Engr. Sanny Boy Oropel, DPWH-6 director, for updates on the status of the seven development projects undertaken by the agency.
“It has come to our attention that there are several projects approved, funded, and undertaken by the DPWH Region 6 that have not been accomplished, and or started construction despite the agency’s project timeline,” read Tan’s letter.
The seven projects include the rehabilitation of the Mandurriao public market and construction of Barangay Concepcion, City Proper multipurpose building, Jalandoni Memorial High School sports complex, Tanza Esperanza multipurpose building, Santa Filomena, Arevalo multipurpose building, Balantang multipurpose building, and Barangay Katilingban multipurpose building.
Mayor Jerry Treñas has been vocal about his dissatisfaction with the DPWH City District Engineering Office’s handling of infrastructure projects, which he claims have not met the city’s standards and timelines.
This tension has led to a series of actions, such as the declaration of the DPWH Iloilo City district engineer as persona non grata and the cancellation of certain DPWH projects.
The mayor has recently reconsidered his decision to stop the ongoing construction of the P400-million seawall project spanning the shorelines of Barangays Rizal Pala-Pala and Tanza.
“After checking the documents and the risk reduction impact that the project will bring to our people in the coastal area, I am inclined to allow DPWH to finish their work at the proposed seawall,” said Treñas.
But he clarified the DPWH-6 needed to submit clearances from the Philippine Reclamation Authority, the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), among other national government agencies.
“I will wait for the hearing of the city council and the result thereof. I want our people to be safe and protected by reducing their exposure to hazards as we continue to pursue our vision of a resilient, livable, and sustainable city,” said Treñas.
The City Legal Office had issued the cease and desist order against the seawall project for lack of permits from the Philippine Reclamation Authority, Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and for disregarding the provisions of the Local Government Code.
In the order, Gil said the DPWH-6 did not conduct a public consultation with any of the concerned barangays before the project construction.
The cease and desist order came after the City Council asked DPWH-6 to stop the ongoing construction of the seawall.
The City Council also conducted a hearing on the request of the DPWH-6 to utilize the materials delivered to the construction site of the seawall project.
In his letter dated June 4, Oropel told Treñas the seawall project does not include reclamation works. Thus, it does not secure the requirements from the PRA.
The national government funded the project through the General Appropriation Act for 2023.
The contractor started constructing the project on Aug. 23, 2023, and is now 37.93 percent complete.
The project aims to protect the inland area from the effects of wave action and prevent coastal erosion, mitigating the loss of human lives and destruction of property during typhoons./PN
