ILOILO – Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. has asked the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to provide him a map of Iloilo roads, part of an effort to convert provincial roads into national thoroughfares.
“We have provincial roads that were concreted from national government program so it is better to turn-over the ownership to them for maintenance aspect,” Defensor said on Thursday.
He expressed confidence that the national government can take over the roads as there are funds under the administration’s “Build, Build, Build” program.
Defensor added road concreting in the province was under Iloilo’s capital outlay, national government projects, Conditional Matching Grant to Provinces, and Philippine Rural Development Project, among others.
The map of Iloilo’s roads will also identify which were already concreted and its respective project implementers.
“We want to work with them together on which of our provincial roads that were already concreted, and on what was done by the DPWH and the province,” he said. “Coordinated implementation on road projects will allow the province to properly allot its budget.”
The governor will also ask the submission on the implementation of the farm-to-market roads in the province under the Department of Agriculture (DA).
The list of farm-to-market roads will help Defensor in approving resolutions on barangay roads.
“If there are resolutions for concreting of barangay roads, we will know which were already done, if it was already granted by the DA, and the funds allotted, among others. This is for the work to be well-coordinated,” he said.
Defensor has asked the DPWH to help the province maintain the cleanliness of roads and highways.
“I want the clean-up drive of dengue to
graduate to the purposes of the province in health and tourism. That is what I
am trying to order right now,” Defensor said.
“I request them for aggressive cutting off weeds. It’s a huge difference if we
can also free out highways from plastics and papers,” he said.
He noted that plastics, papers, and other trash on the roads are most probably littered by passengers from passing vehicles.
Defensor also intends to meet with local chief executives and transportation operators to discuss the problem. (With a report from PNA/PN)
