April 18,2012 P88M Subang Da u Bridge Construction For Completion In September By Quirico M.

Gorpido,Jr Sogod, Southern Leyte-The P88M Subang Da u bridge construction, including the P4 0M 1.7 ms road concerting, which provides the shortcut trip to the 7- ilometer distance down to the Maharli a Highway, shall be completed on September 30, 2012 as per contract schedule. This was the disclosure of Assistant District Engr. Manolo Rojas in an interview with the media at the Subang Da u Bridge during the recent media tour visiting all existing undergoing projects of the Dept. of Public Wor s and Highways. Rojas revealed that the contractor of the 136.20 linear meter bridge AC Rivero h as already installed the 100% substructures of the bridge. It has to be followed by the installation of the super-structures and other related wor s until the e nd of September of the current year. Queried on the schedules written on the projects standard boards among its cont ractors of the DPWH,the implementing agency of infra projects in the province of Southern Leyte,District Engr. Carlos Veloso confided that mostly contractors ha ve to do their best to comply with the deadline for completion since liquidating damages would be imposed on them for the delay. If theres heavy rains or typhoon a contractor or contractors will send us letters as ing for the extension of the projects deadline due to the bad weather conditio n,Veloso informed, adding that most of them would finished their respective proje cts before the set deadline. Project Costs The P8,495,550.00 Cabulihan road concreting, that the group have visited earlier , carried out by the Square Cube Construction covering 2.5 ms length, was alrea dy completed. Both sides of the one-lane standard road has a 1.5 meters shoulder , which according to Engr. Vicent Sy, can be converted into a two-lane road when many vehicles would be passing in the near future. In a presscon held at the Agas-Agas building, Engr Rojas divulged that as Chairm an Committee on Infrastructures Congressman Roger Mercado is bent on ma ing the construction of Guadalupe port realized in not a distant future. Last year the G uadalupe port was supposed to be constructed at the soonest time possible, about one or two months later. However, for some reasons that only the Congressman co uld say, the project did not materialized. He claimed that the Guadalupe port will ma e a shorter travel time of one hour l ess to Cebu City as compared to Bato or Hilongos which would ta e 4 to 4.5 hours to reach the port of Cebu.He said that this was the findings of overseas s ippe r Jun Sabalo of the same barangay. Gabion Walls In brgy. Lipanto, St.Bernard a P7M gabion walls was constructed to protect the r oad from possible erosion or landslide during heavy rains. Engr. Sy said that th is ind of protection project is more suitable in landslide-prone areas. It woul d allow big volumes of rainwater to pass through layers of stones. Unli e in conc reted walls, volumes of water will cause it to burst and will easily damaged, he said. Some culverts were also seen around the national road indicating that these are

going to be buried along the mountain base to allow the flowing waters from abov e to flow freely. Another application of the three-tier gabion structures was also seen in the P19 , 735,000.00 river control project of the Lawigan River adjacent to Guinsaugon,a farming village that was buried in just a few minutes by a massive mudslide on Feb. 17,2006 at about 11:00 a.m.Some of the school children and teachers were am ong those who were buried alive on that traumatic tragedy. Only very few inhabit ants were able to escape death during that unforgettable catastrophic event: tho se who have heard inner voices instructing them to run away; those who were out of Guinsaugon wor ing in various places of Mindanao,Cebu and Metro Manila; and t hose who were already in other barangays or at the school attending classes in St.Bernard town. The main purpose for the construction of the river control projects Sy said, is to protect the existing several hectares of rice fields and the two big school bui ldings nearby. The aforesaid river control projects have a length of 560 meters. Another simila r three-tier structures located farther away has a span of 94 meters worth P2M.E ngr.Veloso revealed that the construction of the gabion walls cost P1,000.00 per cubic meter. Rojas also informed that gabion walls structures are suitable in areas where the foundation base in unstable. Unli e in concrete walling which are prone to burs ting when battered by huge volumes of rain waters. In gabion structures, volumes of water will pass through layers of stones and its flexible even if in case the structures will sin , Rojas also explained. Saddle Road Status As ed by a broadcast journalist on the status of the so-called saddle road curved along a steep cliff leading to San Ricardo which is potentially dangerous to bot h the bus and its passengers. Its defense structures along the cliff are quite u nreliable. Rojas replied saying that his office has sent resolution to Malacaang regarding t he condition of the said road. He said that DPWH Manila has found saddle road co ndition as to be of necessity for improvement. This is to provide protection among traveler s to the place. He intimated that DPWH main office thru its Secretary Rogelio Singson has approv ed its regular infra budget of P700M including the saddle road improvements. The DPWH official also stated that Congressman Mercado is determined and consist ent in his desire that San Rafael-Bontoc road concreting would be completed. The road upon completion will serve the Maasin farmers in bringing their products t o Sogod town and vice versa in shorter travel time. He said that a fund of P6M w as allocated for the first phase. Transparency In an answer to a query, Engr. Veloso clarified that the purpose of conducting a media tour, which is on its second year, is to implement DPWH policy of transpa rency under the new Administration. This means that the media and other sta ehol ders can report to DPWH office any defect or damaged that theyve seen on its infr a projects anywhere in the entire province He implied that the media can even ma e constructive criticism when necessary ju st to ma e a DPWH concerned official act quic ly on his responsibility to the tr aveling public.

When as ed who are those considered as sta eholders, Engr. Rojas said that it in cludes the bus drivers, motorists, pedestrians, commuters, vehicle owners/operat ors, tourists, farmers and other individuals. On the other hand, DPWHs biddings on its current 25 projects in the province are now electronically done, Rojas pointed out. He stressed that now theres no limit on the application of bidders to participate on the bidding process. A bidder can send letter of application even on the last day of schedule for the bidding of projects, he clarified. Rojas also said that representatives from different sectors can openly attend du ring the actual bidding of projects at the DPWH office at the Capitol Site compo und in Maasin; or at the designated venue that the office has chosen.(Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)