DRIVING
DEVELOPMENT TOGETHER
SECRETARY HERMOGENES E. EBDANE, JR.
BANTAY LANSANGAN
FIRST ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING OF THE GENERAL MEMBERSHIP
23 January 2008 , Linden Suites, Ortigas Center
MAGANDANG
UMAGA SA INYONG LAHAT.
IT IS MY HONOR TO JOIN THE GENERAL MEMBERSHIP OF BANTAY LANSANGAN AS
YOU COME TOGETHER TO ORGANIZE AND MOVE FULL SPEED AHEAD.
LESS THAN A YEAR AFTER WE JOINTLY LAUNCHED THIS PROACTIVE TOOL THE
ENSURE TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN PUBLIC WORKS, IT IS
HEARTENING TO SEE THE COMMITMENT AND THE DEDICATION AT WORK
MUCH HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE IN THE INTERIM, AND THAT IS WHY WE ARE HERE
TODAY, READY TO OPERATIONALIZE BANTAY LANSANGAN INTO A VIABLE POTENT
FORCE FOR OPTIMUM EFFICIENCY IN PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS.
INDEED, THERE IS EVERY REASON TO HOPE THAT WE WILL BE DOING SO MUCH
MORE, TOGETHER, TO DRIVE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH RESPONSIVE AND
RESPONSIBLIE PUBLIC WOKS.
THE AGENDA FOR TODAY IS QUITE FULL, ANDI MUST CONGRATULATE THE
ORGANIZERS FOR SETTING THE TONE AND PACE OF BANTAY LANSANGAN.
NOW MORE THAN EVER, WE MUST SHOW HOW SERIOUS WE ARE, IN OUR EFFORT TO
GET THE JOB DONE, ON THE GROUND, ALL OVER THE PHILIPPINES.
TODAY’S ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHTS THE VALUE OF PARTNERSHIPS AS WE ACKNOWLEDGE
THE UNWAVERING SUPPORT OF THE AUSTRALIAN AID WHICH HAS PLEDGED TO
FUND THE ACTIVTIES OF BANTAY LANSANGAN.
THIS IN TURN FUELS OUR RESOLVE TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THE PROGRAM FOR
THE BENEFIT OF ALL ROAD USERS AND THE FILIPINO PUBLIC IN GENERAL.
OUR SHARED RESPONSIBILITY IS ON A MULTI-DIMENSIONAL SCALE. THERE IS THE
BASIC TASK OF BUILDING THE ROAD NETWORK THAT WILL ENABLE ECONOMIC
ACTIVITY AND HUMAN MOBILITY.
THEN THERE IS TOO, THE CHALLENGE OF ENSURING THAT THE ROAD NETWORK WE
BUILD WILL LAST FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.
ADD TO THIS THE IMPERATIVE OF ENABLING A CULTURE OF TRANSPARENCY AND
ACCOUNTABILITY THAT WILL GUIDE THE OPERAIONS OF PUBLIC WORKS AND THE
REST OF THE GOVERNMENT BUREAUCRACY IN THE YEARS AHEAD.
SIMPLY PUT, THE RESPONSIBILITY IS THREE-FOLD.
FIRST, TO BUILD THE ROADS TODAY THAT WILL BRIDGE COMMUNITIES AND ALLOW
THE EXCHANGE OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES.
SECOND, TO BUILD SO THAT THE ROADS WILL SERVE FUTURE NEEDS AND THE
GENERATIONS AHEAD, AND THIRD, TO BUILD THE ORGANIZATION AND ITS
PEOPLE SO THAT THE PUBLIC WORKS MACHINERY LEADS THE WAY IN EVOLVING
BETTER PRACTICES, OPTIMUM EFFICIENCY, AND ZERO CORRUPTION.
BY OUR SHOW OF FORCE TODAY, IT IS SAFE TO CONCLUDE THAT WE ARE ALL IN
THIS TOGETHER, AND THAT WE WILL PUT OUR HEARTS AND MINDS TOGETHER TO
ACHIEVE OUR TARGETS.
TO DO THAT, WE MUST STAY FOCUSED ON THE TARGET, ALWAYS KEEPING OUR EYE
ON THE PRIZE.
LET ME SHARE WITH YOU INFRASTRUCTURE UPDATE TO FURTHER FUEL OUR FERVOR
TO DO A GOOD JOB.
THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS HAS BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT
OF PRESIDENT GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO’S INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAM OVER THE LAST SEVEN YEARS. AS OF END-DECEMBER 2007, MORE
THAN 2,000 MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED WHICH
TRANSLATES TO MORE THAN 110 BILLION PESOS IN INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDS
PUT TO WORK ON THE GROUND, WHERE THEY ARE NOW MAKING A DIFFERENCE.
A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THESE FUNDS HAVE BEEN INVESTED IN MINDANAO
WITH PROJECTS THAT RANGE FROM FARM-TO-MARKET ROADS TO BRIDGES THAT
CONNECT ISLANDS AND COMMUNITIES.
IN THE NEXT 3 YEARS, THE DPWH, WILL BE AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE
DRIVE TO SPUR DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE SONA PROJECTS.
IN SUPPORT OF STRATEGIC PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS IDENTIFIED IN THE 2006
SONA, DPWH IS UNDERTAKING SEVENTEEN MAJOR ROAD PROJECTS IN THE
“SUPER REGIONS”.
THESE INCLUDE THE HALSEMA HIGHWAY AND THE BONTOC-TABUK-TUGUEGARAO ROAD
IN THE NORTH LUZON AGRIBUSINESS QUADRANGLE.
THE TARLAC-NUEVA ECIJA-AURORA-DINGALAN PORT ROAD, THE
MARIKINA-INFANTA-REAL ROAD, THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL ROAD-5, (C-5) (NLEX-SLEX
LINK)-MINDANAO AVENUE-NLE, THE SLEX TOLL ROAD 3 ALABANG VIADUCT-CALAMBA-STO.
TOMAS, THE SOUTHERN TAGALOG ARTERIAL ROAD (STAR) PROJECT (LIPA
CITY-BATANGAS CITY) AND THE MANILA-CAVITE TOLL EXPRESSWAY PROJECT
R-1 EXPRESSWAY EXTENSION IN THE LUZON URBAN BELTWAY.
IN CENTRAL PHILIPPINES, THERE IS THE EL NIDO=BATARAZA ROAD, PALAWAN,
AND THE PANAY ROADS.
IN AGRIBUSINESS MINDANAO, THE SIBUCO-SIRAWAY-SIOCON-BALIGUIAN –GUTALAC
ROAD, THE LEBAK-MAGUINDANAO ROAD (AWANG-UPI-LEBAK ROAD), THE DINAGAT
ISLAND ROAD NETWORK, THE PANGUIL BAY BRIDGE, THE DAKAK –DAPITAN CITY
ROAD, THE SURIGAO-DAVAO COASTAL ROAD, PHASE II AND THE TALAINGOD,
DAVAO DEL NORTE-VALENCIA, BUKIDNON ROAD, AGUSAN.
THE GOAL IS TO COMPLETE THESE SONA PROJECTS ON TIME AND REFLECT THE
DETERMINED EFFORT OF THE DPWH AND ITS ALLIED AGENCIES TO FAST-TRACK
THE COMPLETION OF THESE PRIORITY PROJECTS.
LET ME SHARE WITH YOU ALSO THE INSTITUTIONAL AND OPERATIONAL
IMPROVEMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED IN THE LIGHT OF THE NEED TO
ERADICATE OPPORTUNITUES FOR GRAFT AND CORRUPTION IN THE DPWH.
WE HAVE BEEN CONTINUALLY IMPROVING OUR OPERATIONS AND MANAGEMENT
CAPABILITIES, DOWN THE LINE.
WE HAVE ALSO INSTITUTED MAJOR REFORMS TO ADDRESS PERCEPTIONS OF
CORRUPTION AND INEFFICIENCY IN THE DEPARTMENT.
OF COURSE, FOREMOST AMONG THESE REFORMS IS BANTAY LANSANGAN.
AMONG THE OTHER INSTITUTIONAL ACTIONS ARE :
·
TO ENHANCE TRANSPARENCY, WE HAVE IMPROVED AND EXPANDED THE
DPWH COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK, TO INCLUDE IT-ENABLED SYSTEMS. THE
DPWH IS ACKNOWLEDGED TO HAVE ONE OF THE MOST MODERN COMMUNICATION
NETWORKS WITHIN THE ENTIRE GOVERNMENT BUREAUCRACY.
·
TO IMPROVE HANDLING OF COMPLAINTS, THE DPWH HAS ESTABLISHED
THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS UNIT WHICH IS DEDICATED TO INVESTIGATING ALL
CASES THAT ARE BROUGHT TO THE DEPARTMENT’S ATTENTION
·
TO REDUCE OPPORTUNITIES FOR KICKBACKS AND BRIBES, WE HAVE
INCORPORATED THE USE OF INDEPENDENT PROCUREMENT ASSESSORS TO ACT IN
PARALLEL WITH THE AGENCY PROCESSES. WE HAVE ALSO IMPLEMENTED
STRICTER PROCUREMENT CONDITIONS, AMONG WHICH IS THE APPROVED BUDGET
CEILING PURSUANT TO RA 9184 OR THE PROCUREMENT ACT OF THE
PHILIPPINES.
·
FURTHERMORE, THE DPWH HAS EMBARKED ON SUSTAINED TRAINING
FOR ALL MEMBERS OF ITS VARIOUS BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEES
PARTICULARLY IN COLLUSION DETECTION. AGAIN, IN THIS REGARD, THE
DPWH HAS INCORPORATED IT-ENABLED SYSTEMS TO MINIMIZE ALL
POSIBILITIES OF UNNECESSARY HUMAN INTERVENTION.
THE DPWH IS FORTUNATE TO HAVE BANTAY LANSANGAN’S MANPOWER AND RESOURCES
AS WE TAKE ON THE LOAD OF BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE.
THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT OUR RESOLVE AND OUR REASON FOR BEING WILL BE
PUT TO THE TEST. THE MORE ROADS AND BRIDGES ON THE DRAWING BOARD,
THE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR BANTAY LANSANGAN TO IMPLEMENT AND ACT ON
ITS MANDATE.
THE REQUIREMENT IS THAT WE MUST DOUBLE OUR DEDICATION, OUR COMMITMENT
AND OUR CONVICTION TO DO THE BEST JOB POSSIBLE.
THERE IS MUCH TO BE DONE BY THE DPWH AND BANTAY LANSANGAN TOGETHER, AND
TODAY’S ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING IS INDEED MOST OPPORTUNE.
AND I AM CONFIDENT THAT BANTAY LANSANGAN WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD,
GIVEN THE SUPPORT FROM ALLIES AND THE INTENSITY OF ITS MEMBERS.
WHAT AFFIRMS THIS CONFIDENCE IS THAT THE MEMBERS OF BANTAY LANSANGAN
ARE HERE TODAY, PRESENT AND ACCOUNTED FOR, MAKING HEADWAY, DESPITE
HURDLES AND DELAYS, SHOWING TO ALL CONCERNED THAT WE MEAN BUSINESS,
THAT WE WILL GET THE JOB DONE.
ALLOW ME TO CLOSE BY INVOKING MY ONE AND ONLY MAXIM ON HOW TO DO
THINGS.
TOGETHER, WE WILL DO IT BETTER.
BANTAY LANSANGAN IS THE BEST SHOWCASE OF HOW TEAMWORK CAN AND WILL
MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN OUR PEOPLE’S LIVES AND OUR COUNTRY’S FUTURE,
FOR THE BETTER.
I KNOW TOGETHER, WE WILLL DO SO MUCH MORE.
MABUHAY AT MARAMING SALAMAT PO.
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