IN ONE of our columns last week, we wrote about Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go’s political “investments” that will surely give him a good “harvest” in the not-so-distant future of his life as a politician.
One of the things we consider his good “investment” is his ability to discern what is close to the public’s hearts and where he could put forward his opinion or stand on the issue or issues.
We cited as an example the critical issue of the plan of Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno to restructure the pension scheme of those in the uniformed service of the government, like the police and the members of the armed forces (military).
The senator from Davao City was quick to express his sympathy to the armed servicemen by saying that he is against the proposal of Diokno, and that if ever there really is a need to obviate the possibility of a government financial disaster should the present scheme be continued, Go was careful enough in saying that any or all the contents of the proposal be implemented it should only apply on the new entrants to the service. As far as those already in active service, they should continue enjoying the present scheme.
Naturally, the Go stand received a warm appreciation from the men and women in the uniformed service as well as from their immediate family members who will likely be the beneficiaries of the current pension system.
The Davaoeno senator did it again the other day. We mean his choice of an issue to react to, giving his own view, and his commitment to do his share at the legislative level. Yes, Senator Go is filing a bill in the Senate that aims to institutionalize the current administration’s massive housing program that intends to provide some six million housing units to deserving families nationwide.
By doing so, the Pabahay Program of the government will not only be dependent on the budget allocated for it from the entire budget of the Executive Department. If the bill of Go becomes law, Congress will provide the funds for house construction annually. It will further ensure the continuity of the housing program regardless of whoever sits as President of the country.
We can only hope that the Senator from Davao City gets the support of his fellow senators as well as the legislators from the Lower House as his (Go’s) bill if it is to become a law, has to have its counterpart measure from the House of Representatives.
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In a Facebook post the other day, we read the complaint of former Davao City Water District (DCWD) spokesman and Davao Boy Scout Executive Dominador Lopez on the still uncompleted road repair project somewhere at R. Castillo St. in Agdao, Davao City.
According to our friend Doming, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) contractor of the project had long started its work, but until now, it failed to finish the same. The unfinished project in that part of R. Castillo has largely contributed to the frequent flooding of the area, making it almost impassable to both vehicles and people when the rain is strong.
We can understand Mr. Lopez’s disgust with the project contractor because, according to him, it seems nothing significant in terms of work progress can be seen by those residing in the area for quite some time already.
We can very well relate to him. There is also one project that we have observed to be hardly monitored by the DPWH, possibly because the contractor appears to have just given the project less significance in concern.
We are referring to the road expansion and embankment repair and rehabilitation on the Magtuod-New Carmen-New Valencia Road leading to Calinan in Davao City. The project costs the government some P218 million, and the completed expanded stretch of the road is not even half the distance.
The contractor’s work, a firm owned by businessman Vicente Lao, has barely reached the vicinity of the New Carmen Elementary School or a progress of about seven kilometers starting from Crossing C.P. Garcia Diversion Road at the Ma-a juncture. And worst, adding to the delay in the work activities, workers had to re-do their finished work, at least during several times we used that road from our farm residence.
Considering the terrain of the workplace, we can possibly understand if the workers will have some problems in accomplishing their task. But given the long period with which the contractor could have used all the means within their disposal to finish the project, it intrigues us a lot why the completion was not attained on time.
What intrigues us the most is that there seems to be no sign of the DPWH reprimanding the contractor or even just giving them some headbanging, if only to remind the contractor that it has a deadline for project completion.
As to what is holding the DPWH from instituting some measures to protect the people’s money used in funding the project, we can only surmise.
