Even before last year's revelation of billions of pesos wasted in flood-control projects that are nothing more than a front for corruption, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) had always been the butt of jokes - and for good reason.
Whereas in more progressive countries, the rehabilitation of major infrastructure works such as roads and bridges take days or even hours, here in the Philippines, DPWH rehab projects are often stalled for months if not years.
DPWH officials always have a ready excuse for the long duration of such projects: limited or exhausted funds (ergo, some funds have already been funneled in the hands of corrupt contractors and public officials).
And the delays have caused untold hardship for motorists and commuters who have to endure this trend of greed and shortsightedness.
Residents of San Pedro City, Laguna – the province’s “dormitory city” that has become the home of workers from Metro Manila – have twice experienced this unacceptable delay in the construction of major infrastructure projects.
Remember the horrors brought by the three-year widening of the San Isidro Bridge that have served as the ultimate test for commuters?
Not to mention the decade-long construction of the San Pedro City northbound exit to the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) that has robbed residents of opportunities for economic growth.
And now, sometime soon, motorists’ patience will be tried once again by the rehabilitation of the bridge that connects San Pedro City with the National Capital Region.
Officials have promised that the bridge rehabilitation will only last for a couple of months.
San Pedrenses who have twice endured broken promises from DPWH officials will sure mark that promise on concrete, particularly in the context of the still-ongoing scandal regarding flood-control projects.
In most sports, three strikes means out – and if the DPWH fails yet again in its promises to motorists and commuters, this will surely be remembered by a public already fed up by unfettered corruption.
#WeTakeAStand #OpinYon #OpinYonNews #Editorial #DPWH