By Rachel Magday
NUEVA VIZCAYA, Philippines — Amid calls for greater transparency and accountability in the implementation of public infrastructure projects, Gov. Atty. Jose V. Gambito has directed the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Nueva Vizcaya to furnish all municipal mayors with complete details of projects to be undertaken in their respective towns, including the corresponding programs of work.
The directive was issued during the recent Provincial Development Council meeting presided over by Gambito, following a request from the League of Municipalities of the Philippines–Nueva Vizcaya chapter, through its president, Bambang Mayor Benjamin “Jamie” L. Cuaresma.
Cuaresma said municipal officials need detailed project information to properly respond to complaints from constituents regarding defective, delayed, or incomplete infrastructure projects.
He also emphasized that local governments must be equipped to exercise oversight, particularly on matters involving project monitoring, situs tax, and other fiscal or administrative concerns.
During the meeting, Cuaresma pointed out that mayors are often required to sign certificates of acceptance for completed projects within their municipalities. For this reason, he said municipal governments — through their municipal engineering offices — should be involved in monitoring project implementation.
He added, however, that expenses related to monitoring should be shouldered by the implementing agency.
At the same meeting, the DPWH 1st Engineering District presented its proposed infrastructure package for Fiscal Year 2027 amounting to ₱9,095,289,510.
The proposal covers 78 projects across eight municipalities under its jurisdiction, including road rehabilitation and concreting, bridge construction, flood-mitigation structures, multi-purpose buildings, and water-supply systems.
The proposed projects fall under major DPWH program thrusts such as SIPAG or Sustainable Infrastructure Projects Aleviating Gaps like access roads and bridges, TRIP or tourism access roads, ROLL-IT or industry access roads, asset preservation, and targeted flood-control initiatives.
Based on the presentation, the proposed allocations by municipality are as follows:
- Bambang: ₱3,159,852,000
- Bagabag: ₱2,340,756,900
- Bayombong: ₱1,399,000,000
- Solano: ₱1,004,333,000
- Quezon: ₱899,347,610
- Ambaguio: ₱195,000,000
- Diadi: ₱75,000,000
- Villaverde: ₱22,000,000
DPWH 1st DEO clarified that the ₱9.09-billion package is a funding proposal submitted to the DPWH Central Office for inclusion in the department’s 2027 budget proposal. It remains subject to budgetary review and approval by both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Gambito said providing municipalities with complete project documents and programs of work will help improve coordination, ensure closer monitoring, and allow local officials to immediately act on public concerns as the 2027 budget process moves forward.
