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Lacson questions DPWH’s P900-M allocation for 100-meter road in Nueva Ecija


Senator Panfilo Lacson on Monday questioned the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) multi-year allocation for a 100-meter stretch of national road in Nueva Ecija amounting to a total of P900 million.

During the Senate’s budget deliberations on the proposed 2018 budget, Lacson pointed out that the 100-meter road got a P300-million allocation each in 2016, 2017, and 2018.

“If we go for linear meter, that’s P3 million per meter [in 2016]…Doon sa pinaka-matangkad kong staff sa opisina, isang hakbang lang niya yung one meter eh,” Lacson said.

Senator Loren Legarda, sponsor of the 2018 budget proposal, said the road is a “priority project” of the DPWH. “It’s a multi-year project,” she added.

Legarda also said that the road is to be constructed on a “mountainous, very dangerous” area.

“I’m not sure if P9 million [per meter] is a reasonable amount; but the cost of this cannot be compared to a national highway in a provincial road or a straight road,” Legarda said.

She said the total P900-million budget for the road will also cover “slope construction.”

“I think we deserve a better explanation,” Lacson said.

The DPWH has a total proposed budget of P627.77 billion. — Kathrina Charmaine Alvarez/RSJ, GMA News

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