By Justine Irish D. Tabile, Reporter
THE GOVERNMENT needs to improve its execution on water management issues and address delays caused by right-of-way (RoW) acquisition, a former Public Works secretary said.
“We are facing what I refer to as the cycle of destruction because we are not properly addressing the water crisis,” Rogelio L. Singson told reporters Wednesday.
“Water is not rocket science. Unfortunately, the funds are not being used properly. It’s sad to say that the funds are there, but they are not being used the right way,” he added.
He said much of the funding is wasted because the right projects are not being pursued.
“What is happening now is we have the wrong project, the wrong cost, and the wrong quality. So, the money is wasted,” he added.
On the topic of right-of-way acquisition, he said that all the government infrastructure projects are experiencing delays due to RoW issues.
“The funds are there, no doubt. There are RoW funds. But for them to be able to use that, the documentation should be complete,” he said.
“If the documentation is not complete, which identifies who will pay and how much, how can you obligate the funds? So, (the funds) are being reverted,” he added.
He called for specialists dealing with RoW in every infrastructure agency.
“We need a dedicated team and a lot of help coming from the local government units (LGUs). If the LGUs do not accept the project, nothing will happen. So, the LGU must accept the project,” he said.
The Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council has identified the amendments to the RoW Act as among the priority bills for passage within the 19th Congress.
However, Mr. Singson said that amending the bill should not be the top priority.
“The law is already there. You can already pay RoW based on market value,” he said.
“But what I suggest is to pay them based on market and replacement value,” he added.
He said that this will allow the landowners to buy land and rebuild their homes once they relocate.
“(Replacement value) is easy to calculate. It is just a measurement — what is the home made of — concrete or wood?” he added.
Mr. Singson, who is the former president of the Metro Pacific Tollways Corp., was recognized by the Management Association of the Philippines as the Management Person of the Year 2024.