Thursday, May 29, 2008
DPWH to talk to land owners when funds arrive
THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 7 is just waiting for funds to arrive to pay owners of lots that will be used in the expansion of the highway.
This explains the lack of communication from the agency, said Agustinito Hermoso, DPWH 7 legal officer.
Hermoso, the designated spokesperson for the flyover project, again assured officials that lot owners already agreed to the use of their properties to expand Gov. Manuel Cuenco Ave.
Development
Yesterday, the City Council asked officials of the DPWH, contractor WTG Construction and Development Corporation, and the City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) to attend their session next week.
Vice Mayor Michael Rama and the city councilors wanted to know what will be the scenario once classes start on June 9, which is just 11 days away.
“I suggest that we meet them before the opening of classes so we can tell the people what to expect. We want it coming from the horse’s mouth what to expect as far as classes are concerned,” Rama said.
In a phone interview yesterday, Hermoso told Sun.Star Cebu that though the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) already issued a Special Allotment Release Order (Saro), the DPWH has yet to receive the P40 million, the first release.
DPWH 7 Director Josefino Rigor earlier said President Arroyo already approved the second release of P80 million, and third release of P50 million for road-right-of-way purchase.
In last Monday’s meeting with the council monitoring team headed by City Councilor Hilario Davide III, at least nine lot owners, who owned most of the 30 affected properties, expressed their confusion over the situation.
They said the DPWH, after telling them last February that their lots will be used, no longer got in touch with them.
Although they already agreed to the P15,500 per square meter valuation “under protest,” they will issue entry permits only when they are paid.
Hermoso said he could not yet face the owners without the money.
In a report, Davide said WTG already implemented 24-hour work in the construction, with 50 laborers working in shifts.
He said they got hold of a report by DPWH Cebu City Engineer Nicomedes Leonor, who said that the flyover could not be finished by July, when the original start of construction was October 2007 yet.
That is why, Davide said, they believe that what WTG project engineer Christoffer Semilla meant, in telling the council two weeks ago that they are on schedule, was November 2008 and not this July.
Construction was postponed to last February because of pleas by establishment owners who wanted to take advantage of the increase in sales during the Christmas season.(RHM)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (May 29, 2008 issue)
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