Media Statement by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.during His Inspection of the Flood Control Projects in Tuba, Benguet
Good morning.
I am here together with Mayor Benjie Magalong to inspect some of these problematic, again, flood control projects.
I think you can see for yourself na talagang hindi trinabaho nang mabuti ito dahil ‘yung ginawang slope protection supposedly dito ay bumigay kaagad. Sinama, pati ‘yung slope protection na dapat na nandiyan na hindi ginawa ay gumuho lahat ito, bumagsak dito, mabigat, nasira ‘yung kalsada.
Ngayon, nakita ngayon namin ‘yung erosion sa ilalim nung kalsada, which is the most important part, ay wala na, na-erode na dahil ‘yung ginawa nilang protection wall ay ubod nang hina, ubod nang liit.
At you will see it later — you can see it there sa ano… Sa ilalim nung tunnel talagang na-erode na. Dahil ‘yung slope protection dito sa baba, sa tabi ng ilog, ay napakababa at napakahina.
Kaya’t nung pumasok ‘yung tubig, noong bumigat ‘yung tubig, eh tangay kaagad. Kaya makita mo rito, tangay na itong lahat. This was all taken — this was all destroyed because of the landslide here, the rockslide here, and the erosion under the road.
Now, the project that was supposed to take care of this cost us 260 million, more or less, 260 million. The 260 million that the government spent for this project had no effect whatsoever as to protect the slope. Parang walang ginawa.
Sana hindi — pareho lang. Kung wala silang itinayo, wala silang inilagay na wall, wala silang inilagay na riprap, wala silang inilagay na slope protection, ganoon din ang nangyari.
Kaya ang balor ng kanilang trabaho is zero, complete zero. And here’s the other thing, that’s why I keep talking about economic sabotage. Ang feedback natin from the mayor and from the other…
The mayor of Tuba is also here. [Baguio City Mayor Benjamin “Benjie” Magalong: Mayor Clarita.]
Come, come join us. Halika, Mayor, dito ka. Oo. We are talking to the mayor in terms of the effect on businesses. Because of this, because nagsara ito, hindi na magamit ito, in terms of business, 35 percent I think is the number– 35 percent kaagad ng kanilang hanapbuhay ay nawala dahil dito.
So, it is not only the damage, the physical damage that we can see, but it is also the damage to the economy. It is also the damage to the people’s livelihood.
Naghahanapbuhay lang naman itong mga taong ito, tinanggal sa kanila 35 percent ng kanilang hanapbuhay para ibulsa ang pera ng gobyerno.
Kaya naman, hindi kayo magtataka that — if there’s one thing, I will not leave this office until I fix this. This is it. This is one of those things.
So, very, very clear. Here we go again. Pang-ano na tayo? Panglima na yata nating inspeksyon ito, and it’s always the same.
Now, we will go to the next side. ‘Yun naman ‘yung rocknetting, ‘yung tinatawag na rocknetting. Kung makita ninyo may mga netting na nilalagay sa ano… Unang-una, because napaka-notorious ng rocknetting to — sa korupsyon, ipinagbawal na ang rocknetting. So, pero ginawa nang ginawa pa rin. Ipinagbawal na ‘yan eh pero ginawa nang ginawa pa rin.
Bukod pa doon, kilala ko ang supplier ng rocknetting. Ang presyo ng rocknetting is P3,200. Ang chinarged (charged) sa gobyerno is more than P12,000. So, times four, times four. So, 75 percent ng kontrata kinickback (kickback). So, that’s the situation we are facing kaya’t malala ito.
The other item that I have begun to learn from the LGUs — buti na lang nandiyan ‘yung LGU na nakabantay — but the LGUs are all — are complaining. Dati ang sistema, pagka may project sa isang lugar, halimbawa, mayor ako na may project ng DPWH o contractor doon sa lugar ko, magkokonsulta sa local government.
Hindi lang, ‘pag malaki ang project, hini-hearing ‘yan from barangay to municipal to province. Walang ganoon. Walang ganoon na ginawa dito sa lahat na ito.
Ito pa, kapag natapos, natapos, tapos na raw ‘yung project, dati, noong governor ako, may acceptance ng local government. Sasabihin ng local government, okay, maayos ‘yung inyong ginawa. Tinanggal na ‘yun. Kaya’t hindi makapag — mag-iinspeksyon sila, pero wala na silang magawa.
Iinspeksyunin nila, sasabihin nila hindi maganda ang pagkaayos, pagkagawa, hindi sapat o mahina or whatever. Wala nang magawa ‘yung local government executive.
So, tinanggal ‘yung SOP na ‘yun. That SOP is that before you release the project to the local government, kailangan tanggapin ng local government. And that’s something that we will reinstitute.
‘Yun ang ibabalik natin because the local government… Alam ninyo naman ako, matagal ko nang sinasabi, because of my experience as governor, ang local government, wala kaming ginawa kung hindi araw-araw, tinitingnan, iniinspeksyon namin lahat ‘yan . Hindi ‘yung minsanan. Every single day we walk around, we go around, we hear reports from ordinary people, hindi ‘yung mga opisyal, but ordinary people, and kaya sila ‘yung nakakaalam. That’s why that acceptance is so important.
And that’s what we are going to reinstate. That’s going to be one of the measures that we think…
[Tuba Mayor Clarita Sal-Ongan: Thank you. Thank you. Iyon lang ang hinintay namin.]
Oo. Bakit nila tatanggalin? Oo, hindi puwede ‘yun. Hindi puwede ‘yun. Kasi kung hindi tanggap ng local government, maliwanag, may problema ‘yan.
If the local govern — ang local government walang — hindi masaya — masaya kung magkaroon ng slope protection, hindi na masasara ‘yung kalsada. Masaya kami ‘pag mayroong flood protection, hindi na — hindi na babaha. ‘Di siyempre tatanggapin kaagad kung maganda.
Pero kung hindi maganda, sila rin ang magsasabi kasi sila ang nakakaalam. Sasabihin ‘yung nilagay ninyong riprap masyadong mababa dahil ‘yung baha rito, umaabot dito. Hanggang dito lang ‘yung pader ninyo. All of those things.
So, those are the things that we have to correct. That over the years, these abuses only came about kasi pinapalitan ang sistema, and dinadaya lang talaga.
No consultation with the local government. No acceptance from the local government. All of that. Kaya mabigat ang gagampanan na role ng ating local government dito sa ating mga ginagawa para maayos na. Marami.
Well, si Mayor Benjie has been very vocal about the problems that we have. That’s why napunta ko dito. And the comments and the sumbong that have been arriving at our website [have] been very, very useful.
Kaya ipagpatuloy sana ninyo ang inyong pagsumbong. And I’m not just talking to local government officials, kahit sino. Basta’t may alam kayo, sabihin ninyo sa amin, paiinspeksyon natin. Kung may problema, aayusin natin ang problema.
Here is the problem here. This is 260 million project. Useless. Parang tinapon mo ‘yung pera sa ilog. Useless. To correct this will cost double that. That’s my top of the head estimate. Five hundred million ito para ayusin.
At least, kasi hindi lang itong nakikita ninyo rito kung hindi hanggang doon sa loob eh, hanggang doon sa ilalim nitong tunnel eh.
So, there’s a lot of work that needs to be done. So, how can you tell me that it’s not economic sabotage? Kinuha mo ‘yung 260 million, wala kaming nakitang effect doon sa kanyang ginawa na kontrata. Tapos para ayusin ‘yung binigay ninyong problema sa amin, it will cost another 260 million, probably double 260 million, hanggang 500 million na ‘yan. Kaya’t…
I don’t blame anyone for being disappointed, frustrated, angry, and baying for blood. Okay, thank you.
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