P1.5B drainage fund still unused

Barangay Tinago in Cebu City cleaned up a portion of its creek and built a promenade which will hopefully be replicated by City Hall’s engineering department in other drainage projects. (CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO)

Cebu City Hall has a P1.5 billion budget for drainage projects this year but the amount hasn’t been spent.

This was pointed out by Councilor Margarita “Margot” Osmeña during the last day of  marathon budget hearings for the city’s proposed P8.9 billion annual budget for next year.

“Can we catch up? What is our rate of implementation? If we are this far behind in 2015 and we have projected programs and projects for 2016, what is our forecast for rate of implementation?” Osmeña asked.

The Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW) is seeking a budget of  P1.35 billion for 2016.

City Engineer Jose Marie Poblete, admitted that some DEPW budgets have  not been fully used and that his office has been working on the backlog of projects from  previous years.

He said he wants to first undertake  studies and surveys for channel improvements before executing the projects.

In an interview, Poblete explained that the city and  barangays have been implementing  drainage infrastructure projects over the years, but there are still factors and problems  to be considered including the outfall of drainage into canals, waterways and rivers.

He cited narrow creeks and waterways  that were  bottlenecks that cause floods in the city.

“I don’t want to waste this P1.5 billion just so they can say that we’ve implemented it. These funds are for channel improvements like deepening canals, widening them, and putting up riprap beside it,” he told reporters.

Poblete said they lack detailed engineering and detailed plans to guide these projects.

He said based on initial surveys, several structures would  be affected by the project including business establishments.

That’s why for next year, Poblete said they plan to use a small part of the budget for a detailed engineering study for channel improvements in the city.

A view of barangay Tinago after fire struck in August last year. (CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO)

As of October 15, the lump sum account for “Drainage Projects” under the DEPW remained at P1.5 billion.

As a lump sum appropriation,  specific projects  first  need approval of the City Council.

“We’ll use a small portion of that to hire the services of a consultant to make plans and engineering studies for us to asses the costing of the different channels. We won’t just embark in project implementation with the same situation, like putting riprap and dredging, but it has not been widened,” he said.

Poblete said the non-usage of the amount is the reason why they are not asking for an additional budget for drainage projects next year since they plan to implement and use the funds next year.

Poblete also assured that there are still several drainage projects being implemented by the DEPW, mostly from approved budgets in previous years.

For October and November alone, Poblete said the DEPW has been working on the implementation of P200 million worth of drainage projects in the city.

Some are already ongoing projects. But some are still in the stage of preparation for Program of Works and Estimates (POWEs) including the drainage for Benedicto St. (P3 million), and Emerald St. to barangay Tisa (P30 million).

“We will finish these between now and February next year. Then we can focus on the P1.5 billion next year after our backlog of projects,” he said.

Poblete also cited thebarangay Tinago project of barangay captain Joel Garganera as the smaller version of what the DEPW would want to achieve.

He was referring to the 3-meter easement improvement of a portion of the Estero Parian along Palma St.

In a separate interview, Garganera said that the development of their mini promenade along Palma St. was done in very small phases.

They started with establishing first the three-meter easement of the creek after the fire which hit the area last year. This was done after city reblocked the fire site and allowed the victims to return to the area.

“And then the barangay started talking with DPWH in helping beautify the area. It’s good that the DPWH (Cebu City District) office is situated in my barangay,” Garganera told CDN.

He said the DPWH improved the sidewalk in the area and helped put up benches and fences and eventually the lamp posts in the promenade.

He said the DPWH has budgets for beautification and improvement of rivers and creeks which can be tapped as long as there is proper coordination with barangay and city officials in properly establishing easement requirements.