One could not help but ask—yet again—why so many road and street projects and diggings in Metro Manila and other provinces are undertaken during the start of classes and the onset of the rainy season?
These construction works and repairs being done on roads and streets, some by the Department of Public Works and Highways, some by the local governments, still others by water companies, even if they are well-intended and justified, suffer from poor execution and bad timing.
Some of these projects were rushed before the elections, others were started shortly after, some seem to have been “ongoing” forever, leading people affected by them to wonder about the quality of their contractors, or perhaps if a good chunk of their budgets went to corruption, hence the delay in their completion.
Regardless of the reasons, these projects have stalled traffic, closed down streets and roads, and exacerbated floods. Worse, the ditches and diggings have created stagnant pools of water where mosquitoes can breed, just when the Health department has declared a national dengue epidemic.
Sometimes people wonder why even perfectly good streets or roads are suddenly dug up or torn down, just so they can be “repaired.”
For instance, residents of Conchu Street in Pablo Ocampo, Manila, were surprised one morning to see their well-paved concrete street being destroyed, to be elevated they were told, without prior notice from the barangay, nor any petition or complaints from the residents asking for such repair.
Again, why does the government and its public contractors do these projects after classes have started, when traffic has become heavier, and at the onset of the rainy season? Why not do these projects during the long hot summer months, when traffic is lighter because of school vacation, and the dry weather is ideal for construction work?
During a downpour most repair and construction work have to stop. Cold weather makes pavement construction and repair difficult, and the presence of water tends to increase damage. The road has no bigger enemy than water. Wet conditions bring up the cost of repairs. They cause delays and cost overruns, which eventually would be shouldered by the taxpayers.
Moreover, the rain creates dangerous conditions for commuters, pedestrians and motorists. Open diggings are traffic hazards. They put human life at risk, especially when areas are submerged in floodwater during heavy downpours. And again, they create mosquito menaces, dengue magnets where there were none, because of the stagnant pools of water.
We have heard government people explain that the tedious procurement process, budget allocation and releases prevent the timely implementation of these projects. But most of these projects are not emergency repairs that need to be undertaken right away, as if the government has no choice whatsoever. Most of them are preventive or improvement works that can surely be better scheduled and synchronized by government agencies and their contractors.
Let’s face it. Poor management, lethargy, lack of direction and negligence because of corruption and mediocre contractors afflict a lot of these projects. The government should hire better contractors and make them follow deadlines. Blacklist those who cannot meet them. Government auditors should make sure 100 percent of the budget goes to the construction and repair of the roads and streets, and not line the pockets of corrupt officials and their cohorts in the construction business.
The people appreciate quality government service in terms of better streets, roads and drainage systems, but part of that service is working efficiently to finish the projects on time, with the least inconvenience to residents, pedestrians, motorists and commuters. Taxpayers should not be made to “grin and bear it” while public contractors are taking their sweet time, oblivious to all the havoc they are creating.
Image credits: Jimbo Albano