Domingo goes to areas damaged by typhoons
November 1, 2009 12:01 am
By Lynda B. Valencia
MANILA, Nov. 1 — Acting Secretary of Public Works and Highways Victor Domingo is up and around overseeing the rehabilitation of roads and bridges damaged by the recent typhoons.
Domingo said he was accomplishing something else by being out in the field – stay away from persons and firms out to corrupt him in an agency perceived to be as corrupt as the Bureau of Customs (BOC), the Bureau of Internal Revenue(BIR) and the Department of Education (DepEd).
“I’m off and running. I’m not a swivel chair general. And I’d like to avoid people looking for employment and favors in my office," he said.
Domingo was in a three-day inspection tour in Tarlac, Pangasinan, Baguio City, La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte and other areas damaged by the recent destructive typhoons.
According to him, the DPWH field engineers and top officials are in a high state of readiness to repair roads and bridges that will be damaged anew by strong typhoons, including typhoon "Santi" which hit Metro Manila, Southern and Central Luzon Saturday.
“We have prepositioned materials, equipment and field personnel in areas hardest hit by the typhoons. We also have an inventory of bridge materials so we can repair damaged bridges and clear the roads for travel by emergency response teams,” he said.
He added DPWH men continue to do repair works dipping into their greatly depleted savings and using the commitment of contractors to lent heavy equipment and construction materials to be paid when the DPWH shall have obtained the P5.4 billion needed to repair the damages caused by typhoons "Ondoy" and "Pepeng."
Domingo said part of his policy program would be to rid the agency of its image as one of the government’s most corrupt and graft ridden units.
“As long as I can remember, the DPWH has been in the company of the BIR, Customs and DepEd which are perceived to be corrupt agencies,” Domingo said.
But he added the DPWH is worth saving because “majority of DPWH’s rank-and-file are still honest, hard-working and knowledgeable, a proof of this is how our field men performed 24 hours a day at the height of typhoon ‘Ondoy’ and ‘Pepeng’, for which they deserved to be commended.”
“So I hope the DPWH can graduate from the corrupt category that it has been perceived to be. I know that with the recent salary increases, and if we will only listen to our conscience, we would able be to graduate from that category with… flying colors,” Domingo stressed.(PNA) LDV/LBV
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