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The
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is
probably one of the most reviled government agencies,
having been consistently mentioned as among those where
graft is pervasive, and where taxpayers’ money is likely
to end up in the pockets of the corrupt.
But
certainly an office with the awesome responsibility to
build and maintain vital infrastructure, including roads
and bridges, that the economy badly needs should adhere
to certain standards of performance, or risk more
opprobrium.
With the
administration now focused on implementing an ambitious
infrastructure program aimed at fast-tracking the
modernization of the Philippine economy, the DPWH now
finds itself facing the huge challenge of delivering
results and proving its critics wrong.
I
received a copy of the annual accomplishment report of
the DPWH for 2006 and from a cursory reading, it looks
like the agency is making significant strides in
infrastructure development.
In fact,
the agency boasts that last year, it posted its best
performance in 10 years.
Well,
it’s downright difficult to quarrel with hard figures.
The
agency’s foreign-assisted projects reached a total worth
of $464 million, surpassing its target of $393 million
for 2006. Among the major completed projects is the
World Bank-assisted National Road Improvement Project
Phase I covering an initial 984 kms. of national roads
and bridges.
In her
2006 State of the Nation Address, President Arroyo
announced the concept of “super regions,” with highways
linking the major urban centers. At the end of 2006,
DPWH had already completed the planning and
preconstruction activities for the rehabilitation and
construction of 36 major national roads in the Northern
Luzon agribusiness quadrangle, Luzon urban beltway,
central Philippine regions and the
Mindanao agribusiness regions.
In
addition, the DPWH completed a total of 925 nationwide
flood-control projects worth P3.55 billion.
In
support of the government’s land-reform and
agricultural-development programs, the agency also
improved and constructed some 789 kms. of farm-to-market
roads. It is also taking an active role in the
government’s social infrastructure program, constructing
thousands of functional classrooms, multipurpose and
science laboratory buildings, and other facilities
nationwide totaling P2.17 billion.
These
physical accomplishments are attributed by the agency to
better planning, monitoring and evaluation; standards
development and quality control; improved procurement
system, financial management, and internal controls and
audit.
Besides
these, the agency takes pride in its sustained
compliance with good governance. In fact, the
Presidential Antigraft Commission has ranked the DPWH
the eighth among 70 agencies that have effectively
developed and implemented anticorruption compliance
measures.
On the
other hand, it cannot be denied that the DWPH faces
daunting problems. Among these are nontransparent
bidding and improper procurement procedures; overpriced
bids: uncontrolled project costs; and poor absorptive
capacity.
If the
current DPWH management is able to put in place the
mechanisms for dealing with these problems, then I see
no reason why the agency cannot do better this year,
dispel its image as a graft-ridden agency, and regain
the trust and confidence of the public.
Agriculture on the rebound
Meanwhile, Philippine agriculture, which contributes a
fifth to the national economy, grew by 3.88 percent last
year, narrowly missing its projected 4-percent target,
mainly due to a series of supertyphoons that hit the
country. But compared to 2005, when agriculture grew by
only 2.31 percent, last year’s performance is not bad at
all.
This
year, the Department of Agriculture sees better
prospects for the farm sector, with ongoing initiatives
to boost farm and fisheries production and raise rural
incomes combining to expand agricultural growth to
between 4 percent and 5 percent and an even better 7
percent to 8 percent in 2008.
The DA
rosy forecasts are premised on the government plans to
significantly raise public spending on rural
infrastructure, mainly on irrigation and postharvest
facilities, as well as on seed technology, to increase
farm yields and minimize crop losses arising from
inadequate storage facilities.
The
optimism is also fuelled by increased foreign
investments in the farm sector, among them 19
agribusiness projects from China totaling P240 billion.
The Fu Hua Co., for instance, wants to invest $3.83
billion in one million hectares of land in the country
for the cultivation of hybrid rice, corn and sorghum,
while the Nanning Yongkai Industry Group will set up
four bioethanol plants in the country.
These
projects came on the heels of an investment mission to
China led by Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap after the
successful state visit of Mrs. Arroyo last year. Yap was
able to obtain commitments from the Chinese to finance
various projects in the Philippines, including the
setting up of small mobile ice plants and transport
facilities to municipal fishery cooperatives and
associations.
China’s
largest agricultural investor, the Beidahung
Heilongjiang Group, will also bring in investments worth
P43.4 billion, bringing to P240.1 billion the value of
all agribusiness deals in 2007 between the
Philippines
and the emerging economic titan.
The DA
is also focusing on several antipoverty and antihunger
programs that will benefit an initial 400,000 poor
families. The Gulayan ng Masa project allows the
unemployed to engage in backyard vegetable-growing.
Manukan para sa Masa allows families to obtain food from
poultry-raising, while Isdaan para sa Masa involves
raising catfish as a source of food and income. The
Barangay Food Terminal project, which has already
benefited nearly 120,000 families, will further expand
with more outlets to be set up this year.
All this
shows the agriculture sector is poised for better times
this year, for as long as the country is spared from
destructive typhoons and the DA exercises prudent
management. |
