LINGAYEN–Following the pull out of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) from the crucial Agno River Flood Control System, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) has summoned officials in charge of the project to give a status report to the council.

However, Project Director Resito David, the head of the Department Of Public Works and Highways’ Project Management Office (PMO), failed to attend and instead sent its consultants, Rogelio Pelaez, Edgardo Paragas and Alejandro Sosa.

The PMO consultants explained that JICA’s financial commitment had expired even before the fund portfolio could be exhausted thus abandoning Phase III of the project which otherwise would have meant P3.5 billion worth of funds to complete the project.

Pelaez said time constraints were caused by the delays in the Alcala segment owing to right-of-way problems brought about by some 160,000 fully-grown Mahogany trees.

“The owners wanted us to pay millions for the mahogany alone”, Pelaez said, adding that the government even filed charges against the plantation owners because it was illegal to plant trees there, but the case was later dropped because of the long delayed judgment of the case.

Sixth District Rep. Ranjit Shahani reported the withdrawal of JICA from Phase III of the project covering the Agno and Allied River Urgent Rehabilitation Project (AARURP).

AARURP, costing several billion pesos, starts at the mouth of the Agno River in Lingayen leading up to San Manuel and San Nicolas where the San Roque Multi-purpose Dam is located.

Phase 1 from Lingayen to Bayambang has now completed while Phase II from Bayambang to Alcala is 3.5 percent short of the accomplishment target, particularly involving structures in some segments of the project in Alcala town.

Board Member Amadeo Espino, representing the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC), lamented the non-completion of the JICA-funded project saying the undue delay in the construction of the needed dikes in Alcala had caused flooding in some farming areas of adjacent Bautista town.

“They should have thought of an alternative route, kawawa ang mga tao doon, mga 400 families ang naapektuhan,” Espino said.

Barangay captains and some farmers from the affected barangays from the towns of Bayambang and Bautista attended the session to affirm the testimony of Espino.

The PMO consultants could not answer some other questions raised by members of the SP, thus Presiding Officer Board Member Jeremy Agerico Rosario asked that David should attend the next session of the council.—LM

PROPOSED AFCO
ABOLITION DIVEIDES SP

ASINGAN—Hold it there!

A provincial board member has appealed to his colleagues to exercise caution in approving a proposed resolution seeking the abolition of the Agno Flood Control Office (AFCO), the agency looking into the Agno and Allied River Urgent Rehabilitation Project (AARURP).

Board Member Ranjit Ramos Shahani said the proposed resolution of his fellow Sixth District Board Member Alfonso Bince Jr. seeking the abolition of AFCO is open to a lot of questions and could divide the chamber.

Saying that what is needed is “addition not subtraction, progress, not backsliding”, Shahani declared that he will not support the resolution that he thinks will “only lead to nowhere” since the abolition of an office requires congressional legislation.

Bince, visibly disappointed by the performance of AFCO, proposed the abolition of the agency, which he sought to be replaced by the defunct Agno River Basin Commission (ARBC), an agency created by then President Fidel V. Ramos but abolished later by his successor, Joseph Estrada.

But Shahani countered that the ARBC, which can only be resurrected by Congress, can only provide the framework plan for the Agno River and not the technical aspect for the whole project.

AFCO is an attached agency of the Flood Control Office of the Department of Public Works and Highways based in Manila.

“Since AFCO comes under the DPWH Flood Control Office, I don’t know if they can abolish part of an office without abolishing the mother office,” said Shahani, a former two-term congressman of the Sixth District.

At the same time, he said that if AFCO is abolished, no one will be left to oversee all flood control projects in the province funded by the national government.

“If you will abolish the implementing agency, baka wala na tayong makuhang loan. Kawawa naman kami sa sixth at fifth districts,” Shahani said.–LM

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