Manila: Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Ilocos Region Director Ronnel Tan has assured the public that there are no ‘ghost projects’ in the region.
According to Philippines News Agency, Tan, in a press conference on Wednesday, emphasized the strict enforcement of quality assurance measures and project inspections. “We are strict about quality assurance before the agency pays the (contractor of the) project. We have an inspection team, composed of all division chiefs-construction, maintenance, planning-as well as the quality assurance unit,” he stated. Tan also highlighted the practice of conducting random inspections on projects to ensure compliance.
Tan refuted allegations of corruption or substandard work, instead attributing infrastructure damage to natural disasters and topographical changes stemming from previous calamities like earthquakes. He explained that repairs for such damages are covered by a five-year warranty post-completion and are the responsibility of the contractors.
The agency’s personnel, according to Tan, are engaged in continuous education through upgrading, training, and seminars to adapt to new technology and address the impacts of climate change on project implementations. Amid controversies involving the agency, Tan insisted that these do not reflect the entire DPWH.
Reflecting on individual ethics in the agency, Tan remarked, “Ang aking pananaw sa tao yan. Nasa conviction kapag ang tao takot gumawa ng masama ‘di niya gagawin (Based on my perspective, it depends on the person. It is in his conviction if the person is afraid to do wrong, then he or she will not do it).” He stressed the commitment to align with the objectives of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., stating, “Ang aming objective ay i-deliver sa tao ang kailangang imprastraktura gaya ng gusto ng Pangulo para mapagaan ang buhay ng mga tao (Our objective is to deliver to the people the needed infrastructure like what the President wants, to ease people’s lives).”
As of August 27, the DPWH regional office has completed 145 projects, with 1,716 ongoing and 287 not yet started, out of a total of 2,148 projects this year, funded with PHP49.8 billion.
