BL volunteers bat for constructive approach vs. faulty road construction
Bantay Lansangan (BL) volunteers in Iloilo said what makes monitoring on quality of roads relatively successful is the constructive and positive approach they use, during a press conference and the first ever Roadshow here.
BL volunteer Iloilo-CODE NGO Chair Boyet Areño said this positive approach makes openness and transparency easily achievable among partners and the Department of Public Works and Highways.
Areño said that while it is true that they have discovered so many defects in the roads under their monitoring activities, the DPWH as responsible agency in the implementation, has responded very well.
He said their approach is not to create controversy or sheer identification of defects but trying to get the cooperation of stakeholders for the benefit of the people who pay taxes.
BL Regional Coordinator Dan Purzuelo said monitoring of the quality of roads is not just mere ocular viewing but is done through tools which are scientific.
“We hope to train more, especially the media, on how to conduct monitoring of road quality in a scientific manner,” Purzuelo told the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), during the Roadshow.
Bantay Lansangan is a nationwide network of volunteers currently monitoring the performance of the DPW, so as to reduce costs of road construction and maintenance, increase road users’ satisfaction, and improve the public’s perception of the DPWH.
BL Executive Director Vincent Lazatin said the volunteers believe in the concerted action and the value of cooperation and hopes to become a model for multi-stakeholder partnerships.
Some of the findings of the BL reveal that most government funded projects lack project information on billboards, especially the amount appropriated, absence of road markings, presence of pot holes, alligator cracks, soil erosion, standard road measurements not followed delayed implementation, improper disposal of excess materials or garbage after construction, among others.
The same findings were noted by the BL in the ODA-funded projects which were monitored for the period.
DPWH official Faustino Sta. Maria said the Arroyo government’s thrust on infrastructure development carries with it accountability and a common vision that values money spent for the projects. (PIA6/ESS)