BAGUIO CITY – At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the City Government asked the Dept. of Public Works and Highways Cordillera Administrative Region (DPWH-CAR) to coordinate with the City Government and the barangays before implementing any infrastructure projects.
Mayor Mauricio Domogan signed City Council Resolution No. 213-2018 as moved by Councilor Joel Alangsab reiterating various resolutions adopted in the past bearing the same request, the oldest was approved in 2011.
Almost every year, the City issues a complaint on the DPWH’s failure to coordinate their projects with the local government, the barangays, public utility companies and other sectors.
City officials said this lapse had resulted in traffic congestions and inconvenience to the public which could have been avoided if proper planning and information dissemination as a result of coordination had been done.
Worse, it is the local officials who were being blamed for the inconveniences experienced.
In this latest move, the body through Resolution No. 213-2018 reminded the DPWH-CAR of the provisions of Republic Act No. 7160 or the Local Government Code stipulating the need for coordination.
These are:
“SEC. 524. Inventory of Infrastructure and Other Community Facilities… (b) (states that) No infrastructure or community project within the territorial jurisdiction of any local government unit shall be undertaken without informing the local chief executive and the sanggunian concerned;
“SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. – (c) It is likewise the policy of the State to require all national agencies and offices to conduct periodic consultations with appropriate local government units, nongovernmental and people’s organizations, and other concerned sectors of the community before any project or program is implemented in their respective jurisdictions;
“SEC. 21. Closure and Opening of Roads. – (a) Any national or local road, alley, park, or square may be temporarily closed during an actual emergency, or fiesta celebrations, public rallies, agricultural or industrial fairs, or an undertaking of public works and highways, telecommunications, and waterworks projects, the duration of which shall be specified by the local chief executive concerned in a written order. Provided, however, That no national or local road, alley, park, or square shall be temporarily closed for athletic, cultural, or civic activities not officially sponsored, recognized, or approved by the local government unit concerned; and
“SEC. 27. Prior Consultations Required.- No project or program shall be implemented by government authorities unless the consultations mentioned in Sections 2 (c) and 26 hereof are complied with, and prior approval of the sanggunian concerned is obtained.”
Also included in the reminder were the City Engineering Office (CEO) and the City Buildings and Architecture Office (CBAO).
In another move, the body asked the DPWH-CAR, the CEO, the City Environment and Parks Management Office and the barangays to strictly implement Ordinance No. 2-2012 which prohibits job mix activities and the placing of cement batching stations on major thoroughfares.
In Resolution No. 212-2018 authored by Vice-Mayor Edison R. Bilog and Councilor Alangsab, the body noted that “despite the existence of the legislation, numerous reports are being received by the different offices of City Government of Baguio on violations of the said Ordinance committed by some contractors and its personnel.” **Aileen P. Refuerzo
