DPWH new monitoring system to eliminate ghost projects

Following the mandate of President Rodrigo Duterte to increase transparency and eliminate corruption, Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar is instituting reforms in the department which includes the national use of a new monitoring system with a built-in geotagging feature.

“We have rolled out the use of the Project and Contract Management Procedures and Application (PCMA) and we expect transition to finish within the year .The new feature would enable the adding of geographic identification data to photos, videos, and other posts which allows other content from the same geographic location to be found,” Villar said.

“By 2017, with the full implementation of the PCMA – we expect to detect any ghost project real-time, as they are posted in the system,” he added.

The new system would also serve as a tool for inspection and reflect the accomplishments of DPWH projects real-time.

“The right to information does not end in the provision of data. There is a need to ensure that the public has access to quality information,” Villar said.

‘’The use of geo-tagging will provide a more accurate measurement of project accomplishments and at the same time determine whether certain infrastructures have been duplicated or if there are any instances of infrastructure overlap in the country.”, Villar added.

The PCMA is also expected to improve transparency and accountability of physical and financial outcomes through use of online geographic based status reporting and geo-tagged photos required for Contractor Claims processing.

“This administration is committed to the optimum use of people’s money. Safeguards will be put in place to ensure complete elimination of ghost projects,” Villar said.

Meanwhile, motorists can look forward to a convenient travel at the Maitum-Lake Sebu Road in Sarangani Province.

DPWH Region 12 Director Basir M. Ibrahim said two road concreting projects amounting to P300 million are now 71.87 completed – this is 50 percent ahead of schedule.

The ongoing road projects cover Barangay Upo-Tuana Datu Section of Maitum-Lake Sebu Road in the municipality of Maitum in Sarangani Province.

Ibrahim said the projects’ completion timeline is on March 2018 but with the current pace of the construction, earlier completion is expected.

The concreting of the road is among the priority programs of the Department since the Maitum-Lake Sebu Road stretch plays a vital role in connecting tourism, trade and commerce towards the southernmost industry of Mindanao.

“These road projects will lead to a more economically-enhanced Maitum and of course fun-filled tourism destination for Lake Sebu. I believe that the economic and tourism exchange potential for both areas will eventually be stimulated by our road concreting projects,” Ibrahim said.