THE Cebu City Development Council (CDC) has endorsed more than P8.9 billion worth of projects for inclusion in the National Government’s budget for next year.

The bulk of these are projects the Department of Health (DOH) wants to improve barangay health facilities.

More than P5.3 billion is being proposed by the health agency to be poured into the city by 2017, with more than P4 billion for infrastructure and P1.3 billion for equipment.

The north district will get the bigger share, at P1.2 billion for health equipment and around P3.5 billion for infrastructure development.

The south district will get P54 million for equipment and P536 million for infrastructure, if the proposals are approved without changes.

On the other hand, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Cebu City is proposing around P1.8 billion for 35 projects in the city next year.

Roads

Of the amount, the south district has the bigger share with P1.02 billion, while the north district will get P774 million.

In the south district, the widening of the junction V. Rama Ave. in Barangay Guadalupe to Gorordo Ave. in Barangay Lahug has the biggest proposed budget in the amount of P300 million.

“This project is necessary to decongest the main thoroughfare parallel to this project,” said DPWH Cebu City District Engr. Nicomedes Leonor, referring to Escario St.

The opening of a road parallel to Escario St. was first introduced in October 2001 yet, according to a previous interview with Emmanuel Rabacal, who is chairperson of the Regional Development Council (RDC) 7 infrastructure development committee.

At that time, the RDC passed a resolution asking DPWH to prepare a study on the construction of that parallel road and to source funds for it.

Why not?

But Rabacal said it never materialized, maybe because DPWH had no funds for the project yet.

In an interview yesterday, Engineer Leonor told Sun.Star Cebu that the project was never realized because of problems with road-right-of-way acquisitions.

“Wa sad naapil sa amo (We also excluded it before) considering that usually the proposed funding for projects was for national roads. Kani di man (This is not a national road). But amo lang giapil gyud ni ron because of the heavy traffic na sa Escario (But we decided to include this now because of the heavy traffic on Escario),” he said.

Aside from the opening of a parallel road, DPWH also wants to widen C. Padilla St. (P117 million).

The agency also intends to rehabilitate and reconstruct six roads in the south district that serve as alternate routes leading to tourist destinations.

These are the Mambaling-SRP road (P50 million), E. Sabellano St. (P50 million), Rizal Ave. Ext. (P25 million), F. Jaca St. (P50 million), Tres de Abril St. (P50 million) and Spolarium St. (P8 million).

Flood control

DPWH also seeks to construct flood mitigation structures in the Inayawan River (P50 million), Kinalumsan River in Barangay Buhisan (P50 million) and Barangay Duljo Fatima (P50 million), Guadalupe River (P50 million), and a river basin in Barangay Basak Pardo (P120 million).

For the north district, around P260 million will cover the rehabilitation and reconstruction of six alternate routes to tourist destinations.

Some P250 million, on the other hand, covers the flaring of intersections at Gov. Cuenco Ave. and Archbishop Reyes Ave., J. Luna Ave. and Salinas Drive (P50 million); M.J. Cuenco Ave. and J. Luna, Mactan Road and M.L. Quezon St. (P150 million); and Gorordo Ave. and Modesta Gaisano St. (P50 million).

DPWH also intends to construct pocket lanes on the Cebu North Road (P5 million) and N. Bacalso Ave. (P10 million).

Flood mitigation projects are also being proposed for Subangdaku River (P50 million), Mabolo Creek (P50 million), and the stretch of Guadalupe River in Barangays Pahina Central and Ermita (P50 million).

The Department of Education Cebu City Division, for their part, is proposing P1.28 billion worth of projects for next year.

Schools, welfare

Based on the list they submitted to the CDC, the amount will be used to construct 555 new classrooms (P686 million) for the implementation of the K12 program; purchase 25,215 chairs (P25 million) for students; hire 781 new teachers (P222.8 million); and buy 229,229 instructional materials (P114.6 million), among many others.

CDC also endorsed P193 million worth of programs and projects under the Department of Social Welfare and Development, P330 million for the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, and P8.4 million for the National Irrigation Administration.

The CDC endorsed all these projects during their full council meeting at City Hall last Friday.

It will be then submitted to the RDC 7 for their approval and endorsement for inclusion in the National Government’s budget in 2017.

The RDC 7 is set to convene and tackle the matter on March 18.