San juan city: Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon said Tuesday the Regional Development Council would begin crafting the protocol for the review of flood control projects. This is in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s recent directive that the Regional Project Monitoring Committee should conduct a review of flood control projects and determine those that failed, unfinished, or suspected to be ghost projects.
According to Philippines News Agency, Marcos earlier stated that during his inspection in flood-affected areas last week, he personally witnessed some projects that were substandard and even collapsed. The President also directed the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to submit a list of flood control projects that were constructed since the start of his administration in 2022.
“Napakinggan namin yung direktiba ng Pangulo kahapon. Yung Regional Project Monitoring Committee (RPMC) is actually a committee under the Regional Development Council. So talaga pong itong grupo na ito consisting of mga regional line agencies, selected agencies, may kasama ring private sector, may mga private sector representative po sa RPMC (The Regional Project Monitoring Committee (RPMC) is actually a committee under the Regional Development Council. So this group is really composed of regional line agencies, selected agencies, and also includes the private sector-there are private sector representatives in the RPMC),” said Edillon during the post-State of the Nation Address (SONA) conference in San Juan City.
The RDC is the highest policy-making body in the region and serves as the counterpart of the NEDA Board at the subnational level. It is the primary institution that coordinates and sets the direction of all economic and social development efforts in the region.
Edillon stated that while waiting for a list from the DPWH, the RDC would start crafting the protocol for the audit. The protocol will include the means of verification, parameters, and the possible consultation with engineers, she said, ensuring that the review will be objective.
“Magiging maagap din kami sa pag-report nito sa RDC at sa Pangulo (We will promptly report this to the RDC and to the President),” she added.
