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Cordillera
contractors cry |
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By
Frank Cimatu, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Mar. 14, 2002 The contractors said the fund, which is part of the 200-million-peso fund for the restoration of roads damaged by the earthquake in July 1990, was lost in limbo after they were assured by Congress that it would be included in the budget. "It vanished like smoke. We went to DPWH central office in Manila to get our money and they told us that the money was again not included," one of the contractors said. The 65.6 million pesos was supposed to be paid to them for the restoration of roads damaged by the 1990 earthquake. It was also for payment for 159 contracts finished in 1993. A letter sent to Sen. Ramon Revilla, chair of the Senate committee of public works and highways, showed that he was even briefed by the validation and audit committee of the DPWH regarding the 65.6-million-peso fund. "The projects were implemented and supervised by DPWH-CAR regional office in the absence of funding allocation in order to facilitate the immediate reopening of roads. Removal of slides, filling of road cuts, widening of road sections, diversion of river flow away from road cuts and other necessary measures were immediately undertaken to open vital links connecting Benguet and Baguio City to make the roads passable for the transport of goods and services," wrote Felix Desierto, project manager of the DPWH validation and audit committee, in his letter to Revilla. "The DPWH secretary authorized the DPWH-CAR regional director to pay the claims based on the Commission on Audit inspection report or DPWH validation." The Senate reportedly approved the 2002 DPWH budget, which included the earthquake funds. "But when I went to the DPWH central office in Manila, they told me that the 65.6 million pesos for the earthquake road restoration was not included in the budget," Desierto said. "Apparently, other contractors also followed up the money claims and were told the same thing," he said. "It's okay for some of us but many of the unpaid contractors are pakyaw (piece meal) contractors and they even borrowed money for the project in the hope that they would be paid. Their workers were also unpaid. Considering that the figure was 10 years ago, the equivalent would be much larger," he said. Baguio Rep. Mauricio Domogan admitted that the money intended for payment for 159 individual and group contracts was used by the Cordillera congressmen for their own rehabilitation projects. Domogan said the projects under the fund, which was supposed to be included in the 2002 DPWH budget, were not specified. "Actually, I don't know how to answer that categorically. It was not specified so the amount was divided equally (among the seven congressmen). I have not seen the (specifications) in the budget proposal," he said. "In the first place, the initial reaction of the Cordillera congressmen was: The earthquake was 10 years ago, don't tell me there are still people who were not paid." He said the local DPWH should work out the specifications of the project. "That's precisely what we are fighting for. It has already been more than 10 years and we are still not paid. This is an injustice," one of the contractors said. After the devastating earthquake, then President Corazon Aquino asked the DPWH Cordillera under then Regional Director Bernardo Bueno to fast track the restoration of the roads. The contractors agreed to take the projects without being paid first. But in 1991, Mt. Pinatubo erupted and the supposed funds for earthquake rehabilitation were diverted to those affected by the eruption. |
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