Mayor Raisa Treñas on Tuesday, Sept. 16, welcomed the pronouncement of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. requiring clearance from the local government before national infrastructure projects can be declared “completed.”
“With this, we can make sure that projects are not only finished on paper, but are actually complete, functional and beneficial to our communities,” Treñas said in a statement.
She added that the clearance is a “critical safeguard” because it needs coordination with local government units.
Since local governments are the ones maintaining the facilities after the turnover, she said, it is proper that the formal acceptance of the project be considered necessary to be deemed completed.
The mayor cited a pumping station established by the Department of Public Works and Highways at Jalandoni Street in the city proper district, which was turned over to the city government but could no longer serve its purpose because it was defective.
“With this directive from the President, we can now avoid situations like this. It will ensure that before a project is accepted, it already meets the standards of quality and is ready for actual use by the people,” the mayor said.
She expressed gratitude to President Marcos, saying the step will not only strengthen accountability but also allow the provision of better services to their constituents.
Meanwhile, Fulbert Woo, president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Iloilo, said the business sector supports the move of the President involving LGUs in finalizing projects that are funded by the national government.
“If he feels that to involve the LGU in finalizing the project is part of the transparency, I think the business sector will also support that,” he said in an interview.
He said the ecosystem will be better if there is transparency.PNA
