MANILA, Philippines - Let me react to the Letter to the Editor (Inquirer, 7/9/08) regarding the bad condition of the national roads in Eastern Samar.

The provincial government has no jurisdiction over national roads. Its maintenance is the responsibility of the Department of Public Works and Highways. But since the condition of the national roads has become unbearable to motorists, I wrote the DPWH last March that the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, on my request, has allocated P10 million for the repair of the bad road portions. At the same time, I asked for the DPWH’s permission to allow the provincial government to help in the rehabilitation work.

Unfortunately, however, for unknown reasons my request fell on deaf ears. (Was it because the province can do the rehabilitation work at lesser cost since we have a pool of engineers, maintenance crew and a complete set of brand-new heavy equipment? Or was it because a national official of the province has ordered the DPWH not to allow us to help in the rehabilitation of the national roads so his office can corner the P1.2-million monthly maintenance fund? Just asking.)

I’m cognizant that the maintenance and rehabilitation of the national roads are the tasks of the DPWH. Official records will show, however, that on three separate occasions where the governors were allowed to join the Cabinet meetings, I proposed to President Macapagal-Arroyo the inclusion of the Buray-Taft-Borongan-Guiuan road in the priority list of infrastructure projects that should be funded. And President Arroyo readily granted my request. Hence, more than P400 million is now included in the 2008 General Appropriations Act for this purpose.

But while awaiting the release of this fund, the provincial government, backed by a resolution of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, Provincial Development Council, Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council and in close consultation with the mayors and barangay officials, has decided to mobilize its fleet of heavy equipment and manpower to help repair the badly damaged sections of the national highway. And if the letter-writer will go back today to Llorente, he will find an improvement of the condition of the national road there.

This may not be within our legal mandate, but I think I have a moral obligation to protect the general welfare of my constituents. And I’m doing this to sustain our efforts to develop Eastern Samar, even as we have already graduated from the so-called “Club 20,” the poorest of the poor provinces of the country.

—BEN EVARDONE,
governor, Eastern Samar