The Department of Public Works and Highways Southern Leyte District Engineering Office (DPWH-SLDEO) in Maasin City is eyeing a P3.26 billion worth of infrastructure projects for the province in 2017, more than double of its current allotment.
The DPWH field office recently submitted their shortlist of 76 projects to the regional office and central office for the inclusion in the 2017 DPWH Infrastructure Program under the General Appropriations Act.
“Citing our experiences in the past years, we don’t expect that all projects will be approved, but we want to have a considerable share of the budget pie especially that funding for infrastructure increases every year,” said District Engineer Ma. Margarita C. Junia.
Of the P3.26 billion proposed outlay, P970.14 million are for the maintenance and rehabilitation of national roads; P454.03 million for widening of national highways; P590.74 million for off-carriageway improvement; P195.5 million for repair of bridges; P659.03 million for construction and maintenance of flood control systems; P298 million for construction of roads leading to airports, seaports and tourist destinations; and P96.5 million for improvement of various infrastructure including local projects.
While waiting for the final approval of 2017 projects, the SLDEO conducts pre-detailed engineering activities such as survey, preparation of design plan, preparation of technical specifications, coming up with construction schedule, road right of way acquisition plans, among others.
“We have to lay out pre-implementation plans so we will be ready to keep the project up and running once the proposed budget is approved,” Junia said.
Among the projects with higher proposed funding are the upgrading of road leading to various tourist destinations in Maasin City (P150 million), Limsawa Island Cirumferential Road (P100 million), and Liloan-San Ricardo Circumferential Road (P88 million).
For this year, the field office is implementing P1.47 billion worth of projects, 70 percent of which is already complete as of mid-2016.
The DPWH-SLDEO is tasked to maintain 299 kilometers of national roads and 155 bridges, built in 18 towns and one city.