Department of Budget and Management Secretary Amenah "Mina" Pangandaman asked the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Central Luzon to immediately repair a portion of MacArthur Highway in Apalit town, which was badly damaged during the recent flooding.
During an inspection of the road section on Monday, Pangandaman said the current state of the national road in Apalit is dangerous to motorists, commuters and pedestrians.
She said the DPWH may use the QRF or quick response funds to repair the road.
The dilapidated road has become a hindrance to economic activities not only in Apalit but in the adjoining fourth district towns of Macabebe, Masantol, San Simon, San Luis, Minalin and Sto. Tomas.
"Pwede na silang kumuha ng pondo sa QRF. Naglabas na po tayo dyan ng P1-billion. Kaya sinabihan po natin ang assistant director and district engineer ng DPWH na agarang hingin ang pondong ito sa kanilang secretary para mabilis ma-implement ang proyekto," Pangandaman said.
She also inspected the Candating flood control project along the Pampanga River, which was also heavily damaged by the recent typhoons and habagat rains.
The budget chief said the infrastructure is still covered by the guaranteed bond of the contractor so there is no need for additional funding from the government.
"Wala pang isang taon iyan nung nasira. So may bond iyan for one year. So hindi po tayo gagastos dito. We'll make sure kausap natin ang contractor at district engineer na abonohan na, pondohan na nung contractor para matapos na. Gusto ko po pagbalik ko, isasama ko si [DPWH] secretary dyan para makita na nag-level na sa lupa iyong daan," she said.
Pangandaman said that contractors, if found with implementing projects that are substandard, will be blocked from government bidding of infrastructure according to law.
"We at the Department of Budget and Management will keep on monitoring these projects to ensure that they are not substandard. Patuloy po kaming bastonero ng pondo ng taumbayan para siguraduhing ito ay napupunta sa tama," she said.
The inspection of the two vital infrastructures in Pampanga was made after President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. directed the DPWH and the Regional Project Monitoring Committee to provide a list of all flood control projects in the past three years and identify the failed and non-existent projects.
The President said private contractor companies found to be involved in anomalous flood control projects will be blacklisted and potentially face charges.
"We already have some names that are coming up. First of all, corporations that, mga contractor na talagang kitang-kita na hindi maganda ang trabaho nila (who are obviously not doing a good job). We will put them on a blacklist. Hindi na sila puwedeng magkontrata sa gobyerno. (They can no longer have contracts with the government)," Marcos said in his "BBM Podcast Episode 3: Sa Likod ng SONA" aired on Monday.
The President said these companies will be required to explain how they used the funds for the projects.
He even warned those responsible for failed flood control projects in the country "to answer for the suffering of the Filipino people."