DOTC Drumbeats "OKS na OKS" Campaign for the First 100 Days of Macapagal-Arroyo's Administration
By Lynda B. Valencia

MANILA (PNA) -- The program of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) for the first 100 days of the Macapagal-Arroyo Administration centered on several priority areas of concern.

DOTC Secretary Pantaleon D. Alvarez said that during the first 100 days in office of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the Department has invigorated itself with a battle cry of giving the best to serve the people through its "Orderliness, Cleanliness, and Safety" programs. In Filipino, it means "Organisado, Kalinisan, at Seguridad." Hence, the slogan, OKS na OKS sa DOTC."

The DOTC has started bringing order and clarity in areas where there has been chaos and confusion. For instance, in response to the near anarchy prevailing previously at the bus stops in Metro Manila, the DOTC has introduced system and method through proper enforcement, driver education and the rationalization of the location of the stops and the implementation of a color-coding scheme for pick-up and drop-off of passengers.

Alvarez said that in response to the mad scramble happening now in the disembarkation and embarkation of passengers at the seaports, the DOTC has systematized the procedures to make the process a great deal more orderly and conveniently. With regard to the unruly system of hotel and transport solicitation at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and other airports, the DOTC created order and discipline by requiring that all transactions be made strictly at the hotel and transport counters where they should be.

The DOTC has implemented doable ways to fill in the gaps where services, facilities and accommodation are lacking to increase the public's level of satisfaction. At the NAIA Terminal 2, for instance, Alvarez said the DOTC is arranging a way out of the legal gridlock that has prevented the airport management from providing enough food and retail amenities to the passengers.

At the seaports, the DOTC is making provisions so that the passengers can get taxicab, buses and other means of public transpot with greater convenience and without middlemen. At the Light Rail Transit (LRT) stations in Metro Manila, the agency is undertaking a project to provide the riding public with alternative places to buy tokens so they need not wait in long queues at the token booths.

In the area of telecommunications, it is taking solid steps to reduce dramatically, if not eliminate completely, the number of dropped calls by seeing to it that no telecom company is overloading its system capacity.

The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) is conducting a technical audit to ensure that the problem of interconnection is properly addressed.

"We intend also to promote responsible texting and find ways of penalizing the irresponsible kind without violating the people's rights," Alvarez said.

The DOTC will level the playing field and open the doors of competition to all qualified players. In line with this policy, the agency has already ordered that airlines, other than Philippine Airlines whether domestic or foreign, be given adequate opportunities to operate at the new NAIA Centennial Terminal.

"Moreover, as in some progressive countries, we will do away with the one national flag carrier policy and in its stead adopt a multi-carrier policy. We have recommended the scrapping of Executive Order 59 to break up the monopoly in port services. We have finalized the approval by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) to EO 219 to guide and govern the full liberalization of the aviation sector. We are supporting the early opening of Clark for both cargo and passenger operations," Alvarez said.

He also said that the DOTC has introduced system innovations in all regulatory agencies to reduce the processing time for licenses, permits, registration and franchises by a minimum of 50 percent so as to bring about a 100 percent improvement in service.

"We believe this is doable. We made a walk-through of the existing system in agencies like the Land Tansportation Office, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, Civil Aeronautics Board and the Air Transportation Office and found out that enough opportunities exist for this type and magnitude of improvement can be made," Alvarez stressed.

The options available include modifying work schedules, fixing documentary requirements, shortening deadlines, increasing the frequency of meetings of approving bodies, and restricting the period of filing opposition.

In all service and infrastructure facilities, like the airports, seaports and train stations, the DOTC will enhance the public sense of personal well-being by undertaking a no-nonsense cleanliness drive to make these facilities spic-and-span despite their present physical constraints.

"We may not be able to complete any major physical renovation of our facilities now, but we can certainly clean them to such an extent that the people will notice, appreciate and commend the improvement, Alvarez said.

As part of the cleanliness drive, Alvarez said the heads of agencies of the DOTC are now one in the drive to enforce strictly and to the letter all prevailing sanctions and penalties against erring parties. There will be no hesitation on the part of the management to cancel licenses, permits, registrations or franchises where the rules and regulations are violated. "To the extent possible, our officials will make regular physical rounds of their areas of jurisdiction to deliver to all the message that we do mean business this time," he said.

Alvarez pointed out that the priority concern of his department is safety - to prevent disasters or incidents of any nature, be it on air, sea or land. At the airports, most specially at the country's premier airport, the condition of the runways and navigational aids shall be regularly and rigidly checked and all kinds of obstructions to the runway paths cleared.

For the shipping sector, the DOTC will be absolutely strict in giving certificates of public convenience, Alvarez said, adding "We will retire or cancel licenses of dilapidated vessels and ground those in bad need of repairs. We will strictly enforce competency requirements on our officers and crew."

At the railway crossings, adequate physical barriers have been set up to reduce accidents and collisions.

As for the buses, taxis and jeepneys, the DOTC will be strict in issuing certificates of public convenience (CPC) so that only the truly roadworthy can ply the roads.

"We will pursue an aggressive campaign against colorum and out-of-line buses and jeepneys. We will launch and sustain a determined drive against smoke-belching, which has now become a scourge of the people's health in the metorpolis. Out-Tigil-Usok campaign of the LTO will be tightly coordinated with the Metro Manila Development Authority, Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Philippine National Police," Alvarez said.

The DOTC reactivated recently the DOTC Action Center, with the aim of making it a fully working and equipped center for public assistance, policy enforcement and disaster response operating nationwide and capable of addressing land, maritime and aviation requirements and incidents.

The Center is envisioned to operate on the 911 fashion, receiving and responding to the public's calls, complaints and reports 24 hours a day, seven days a week at hotline number "7890." Under the Center's wing, Help Desks will be organized and deployed in all airports, seaports and train stations to receive and even act on-the-spot to the public's calls for help.

"The Center will have a hotline to the Office of the President to transmit reports on emergencies, calamities or any other unusual incidents in the country," Alvarez said.

To contribute significantly to the funds generation of the government, the DOTC will start collecting in earnest receivables from PAL, which to date has already reached a staggering amount of P2.07 billion, exclusive of interest charges amounting to P818 million. The Department will also make Digital Telecommunications Philippines, Inc. (Digitel) pay its obligations running today in the amount of P338 million, inclusive of interest.

"As additional measures, we intend to reopen negotiations for increased revenue shares for government from the Metro Rail Transit Corp. (MRTC), the concessionaire at Tutuban, as well as the concessionaires at the seaports and airports," Alvarez said. (PNA)
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DA Focuses on Speedy Implementation of AFMA
By Lilybeth G.Ison
 

MANILA (PNA) - As an agricultural country, the Philippines, economic growth can be influenced largely by how well the agricultural sector is managed.

Agriculture Secretary Leonardo Montemayor has said that under the Macapagal-Arroyo administration, the Department of Agriculture will be accelerating the implementations of the major provisions of the Agricultural Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA), particularly research and development (R&D), extension, and the strategic agriculture and fisheries development zones (SAFDAZ).

In line with the implementation of the SAFDAZ, Montemayor said that the DA shall also pursue greater cooperation and synergy with the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Montemayor said he is expanding and strengthening the DA's linkages with the local government units and other government agencies, including stakeholders in agricultural and countryside development.

He added that making Mindanao as the food basket of the country is also a priority of the Department of Agriculture.

Mindanao comprises around 10.2 million hectares, or about a third of the country's land area. It is abundantly blessed with fertile lands, good climate, and diverse agricultural, forestry, and fishery resources.

The island accounts for 35 percent of total gross value-added in agriculture, fishery and forestry. It is also the producer of the country's rubber and palm oil, major producer of pineapple, cacao, banana, corn, coconut, coffee and aqua-culture products.

Montemayor has noted that through the years, past administrations consistently neglected the Mindanao Region in terms of infrastructure and technological and human resource requirements of its agricultural and fisheries sectors.

It is no wonder then that Mindanao, despite having the best agro-climate endowment, is barely self-sufficient in rice. The island is disadvantaged due to poor marketing infrastructure. High costs of doing business in rural areas also cut farm profits by increasing prices of farm inputs, thereby reducing prices of farm products and income of the farmers, while increasing food prices in urban centers.

Montemayor said the drive to make Mindanao the food basket and to diversify its agriculture base will help reduce rural poverty, which deprives more than half of the people of Mindanao, or over the nine million Filipinos, of their basic freedom and dignity.

"We must therefore create the right condition for a modern agriculture in Mindanao, and coin a most timely acronym: we must GMA - Go Modern Agriculture. Now is the time to stop paying lip service to Mindanao's promise and put our money where our mouth is. And that is making Mindanao the complete food basket, one that is filled not only with rice, corn, fish and meat but also vegetables and fruits," he said.

Meanwhile the DA chief also emphasized the need to create an honest -to-goodness Anti-Smuggling Task Force to put a stop to what he described as economic sabotage on the agriculture sector.

He stressed that smuggling activities adversely affects the agriculture sector, especially the small farmers and fisherfolk.

The DA has allocated a standby budget of P50.7 million for this year for possible emergency program on some 1.21 million hectares of rice farms and some 420,000 hectares of corn farms that might be affected by drought such as the predicted coming of the El Niņo phenomenon.

Water holds the key to the modernization of Philippine agriculture. Water problem in agriculture becomes more serious, especially during El Niņo, the increasing competition for water posed by rapid urbanization, deforestation, and lack of effective maintenance of the irrigation system.

To address these issues, Montemayor has recommended for the creation of an El Niņo/La Niņa Task Force, which will be composed of tripartite representation of private, government, and farmer groups.

"The bottomline of all DA's effort should be our farmers by improving not only their productivity, but also their incomes and quality of life. The gains in agriculture should be for each and every Filipino farmer," he stressed. (PNA)

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DPWH Action Program for GMA's 100 days and Beyond
By Lynda B. Valencia

MANILA (PNA) -- The action program of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for the first 100 days and beyond of the Macapagal-Arroyo administration centers on seven priority areas of concern.

According to DPWH Secretary Simeon Datumanong, the first concern is the accelerated implementation of major on-going/pending projects.

Based on a review of the major on-going/pending infrastructure projects of the DPWH vis-a-vis the development priorities laid down by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the DPWH in the first 100 days of the new administration expedited the implementation of those high-impact projects that directly support her goals, which are equitable development through sustained growth and reduction of the absolute and moral recovery.

Datumanong said the DPWH identified some outstanding projects and met with contractors of the projects which incurred significant delays, and they have come up with "catch-up" plans to quickly eliminate or minimize the slippages. Among these are the Asian Development Bank-assisted road packages which include Zamboanga City-Pagadian Road, Bondoc Peninsula Road and Tayabas-Mauban-Lucban Road in Quezon, Culasi-Nabas Road in Antique, and Cataingan-Placer Road in Masbate.

Other projects include the JBIC-assisted ones like the Rosario-Pugo-Baguio Road, Pan-Philippine Highway from Naga City to Daraga (Albay) and from Trento (Agusan del Sur) to Monkayo (Davao del Norte), Pampanga Delta Flood Control, and the Pasig River Dredging.

The DPWH Secretary spent several days out of the first 100 days of the Macapagal-Arroyo Administration visiting all the regions of Mindanao, where he inspected several vital major projects, especially Zamboanga-Pagadian Road, Pan-Philippine Highway from Surigao to Davao, Lower Agusan Flood Control, to check on their progress, and issued on-the-spot instructions to resolve implementation problems.

He conferred with regional and local officials (including Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Gov. Nur Misuari, Basilan Gov. Ustadz Wahab Akbar, Maguindanao Gov. Zacaria Candao, Zamboanga City Mayor Maria Clara Lobregat, etc.). He also inspected various projects in Northern Luzon and in the Visayas.

The DPWH identified projects that are ready to commence and thus be considered for groundbreaking and the ones that are about to be completed for inauguration.

Minor projects identified for groundbreaking include the Pan-Philippine Highway, Dalton Pass Section in Carrangalan, Nueva Ecija, 15.3 kilometer, P249 million, Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC); Misamis Oriental Rural Road (Lumbia-Uguiaban-Talakag), 23.6 km., P303 million (JBIC); Davao-Bukidnon Road, Calinan-Buda Section, Davao City, 46.0 km., P321 million (JBIC); Ilocos Sur Rural Road (Santiago-Lidlidda-San Emilio), 17.3 km., P271 million (JBIC); EDSA/Quezon Avenue Interchange, Quezon City, P394 million (JBIC); Metro Manila Flood Control West of Manggahan, 10.4 km. dike, pumps, floodgates, P2,776 million (JBIC); and Sta. Barbara Bridge, Bacolor, Pampanga, 151 lineal meter (lm), P125 million (GOP).

The DPWH has completed major vital projects to be inaugurated by the President or the Secretary before the end of this month. The projects include Hensonville Bridge, Angeles City, P85 million (GOP); Pan-Philippine Highway, Aritao-Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya, 12.9 km., P164 million (JBIC) Pan-Philippine Highway, R. Mercedes-Tumauini, Isabela, 42.5 km., P426 million (JBIC); Pan-Philippine Highway, Iguig-Allacapan, Cagayan, 38.2 km., P625 million (JBIC); Bohol Circumferential Road, Calape-Candijay Section, 124.3 km., P1,212 million (JBIC); and Baybay-Bato Road, Leyte, 50.7 km., P853 million (JBIC).

Inaugurated were the Bugallon Bridge in Pangasinan, 392 lineal meters, P160 million (JBIC); Alaminos-Bolinao Road, Pangasinan, 39.8 km., P105 million (ADB); and Ormoc City Flood Mitigation II, two rivers: 7.4 km. revetment, dike, gates, culverts, etc, P1,065 million (JICA).

As agreed upon with the JBIC, which accounts for 60 percent of foreign Official Development Assistance (ODA), DPWH has pursued an action plan to hasten the implementation of delayed JBIC-assisted projects and accelerate loan disbursements to meet the year 2000 target of Y20 billion by March 31, this year.

Under the plan, the DPWH has taken more proactive stance in project monitoring and decision-making, quickened the processing of contractors' payments, facilitated bidding and contract procurement, and provided for greater delegation of authority to project directors.

In accordance with the President's Administrative Order No. 7, dated March 23, 2001, regarding the review and approval of contracts, the Presidential Management Staff (PMS) returned to the DPWH on March 29, also this year, 21 pending contracts that no longer require Presidential review and approval. With this, the DPWH has perfected the said contracts, nine of which are foreign-assisted, in order to immediately begin actual construction and speed up loan disbursements.

The DPWH has agreed with the Department of Transportation and Communication, Department of Tourism, the Coordinating Council for Public-Private Sector participation, and the Manila International Airport Authority to fast-track the construction of an elevated expressway from Fort Bonifacio/South Expressway to NAIA Terminal 3 considering that Terminal 3 will be completed by early 2003. This will be done using a BOT-design-and-build scheme through public bidding.

On March 30, Vice President and Foreign Affairs Secretary Teofisto Guingona and Japanese Ambassador Yoshihasa Ara signed the Exchange of Notes for nine projects for funding under the 24th Yen Loan Package (JBIC). Seven of these projects are to be implemented by the DPWH, namely, six arterial roads in eight provinces, 219 km.; roads and ferry landing at Catubig, Northern Samar; Northern Palawan Tourism Roads; Laoag River Basin Flood Control; and Agno River Flood Control Phase II-B. These projects directly support the goals of the Macapagal-Arroyo Administration of sustained economic growth and reduced poverty.

Payment of P5.3 billion accounts payable for completed works. - The DPWH has worked with the Department of Budget and Management the release of cash funds in March and April this year to completely liquidate the huge accounts payable accumulated by the previous Administration, totaling P5.3 billion for infrastructure works which had been completed but unpaid as of January 25, 2001.

With this, the DPWH has substantially paid its obligations to numerous cash-strapped contractors who in turn have immediately been paying off their long-standing debts to their various creditors, suppliers, subcontractors, and, most especially, the lowly laborers.

Formulation and implementation of P34.7 billion infrastructutre program for this year. - The DPWH has put together its 2001 infrastructure program totaling P34.7 billion to be funded from the re-enacted 2000 General Appropriations Act. The projects in this program were carefully selected to support the priorities of the Administration (equitable development through sustained growth and reduction of poverty).
   
About 64 percent of the P34.7-billion program is for locally-funded projects and 36 percent for foreign-assisted projects. About 63 percent of the P34.7 billion program is for roads, 15 percent for flood control, and 22 percent for other public works. Underdeveloped areas are given priority, with Mindanao receiving 27 percent of the total program.

Fund releases by the DBM to the DPWH for the projects in the 2001 infrastructure program began in the second week of March this year, and reached P7.2 billion before the 45-day public works ban took effect on March 30, 2001. It has expedited the bidding of the most urgent projects before the start of the ban.

Increased emphasis on road maintenance and safety. - In view of the high priority, the DPWH is giving to the maintenance of roads. Datumanong recently designated an undersecretary to be in-charge of Maintenance Operations in the entire department. For the same reason, the Secretary also designated an Assistant Regional Director for Maintenance Operations in each regional office and component district office.

DPWH is also preparing the work program for the preventive maintenance and rehabilitation of national roads to be financed from the newly-established Special Road Support Fund (about P3.3 billion in 2001) under the Road Board.

The DPWH has likewise augmented measures to provide adequate road safety measures on accident-prone spots, especially on heavily traveled highways and expressways such as signs, lights and barricades around construction sites, and safety devices such as warning signs, guard rails, and lane markings. Moreover, under the recently approved Road User's Charge Act (RA 8794), 7.5 percent of the motor vehicle user's charge (or about P300 million in 2001) will go to a Special Fund for road safety.

Intensive flood control maintenance. - In preparation for the coming rainy season, the DPWH has undertaken an intensive program to desilt and clear esteros and declog drainage pipes in Metro Manila. For this purpose, it has deployed more than 200 DPWH personnel, supported by several units opf declogging equipment.

DPWH has sought the assistance of the Metro Manila Development Authority-Local Government Units to prevent dumping of garbage into esteros and to regularly collect garbage on the streets which otherwise would clog drainage facilities. The Department is pursuing its "Bantay Estero" program which employs barangay residents to ensure the cleanliness of 16 critical esteros.

In compliance with the President's directive, the DPWH has stopped the issuance of demolition orders and the removal of informal settlers from esteros and other infrastructure sites.

Preparation of updated Medium-Term program for 2001-2004. - In coordination with the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), the DPWH has revised its medium-term infrastructure program from 2001 to 2004. This will serve as the multi-year framework to guide the selection of projects that will support the goals of the Macapagal-Arroyo Administration.

The new medium-term program aims to, among other things, upgrade the national road system to international standards by increasing the length of paved national arterial roads from 77 percent of the total (16,035 km in 2000 to 95 percent by end-2004. Roads linking regional growth centers and key production areas will be emphasized. The general order of the priority areas will be maintenance, rehabilitation, improvement, and construction. Complementary engineering and non-engineering measures will be undertaken to minimize flooding. Mindanao will receive 33 percent of the total budget by 2004, compared to only 23 percent in 2000.

DPWH has initiated feasibility studies, to be completed by May 2001, of a package of priority roads in Mindanao for immediate ODA financing, possibly by JBIC and the Saudi funds. This consists of: Awang-Upi-Lebak-Isulan Road in Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat, Cotabato City Diversion Road, Midsayap-Datu Piang-Lambayong Road in Maguindanao and South Cotabato-Lake Lanao Circumferential Road, Basilan Circumferential Road and Sulu Circumferential Road.

Institutional and operational improvements. - DPWH is pursuing the World Bank-assisted computerized Road Information and Management Support System (RIMSS) which aims to improve the quality and delivery of DPWH road services and to streamline the department's operations, thereby reducing graft and corruption.

Procurement Reforms. - The Department is implementing the new procurement (bidding and contracting) system for infrastructure works. This features a shift in emphasis from the past tedious pre-qualification of all contractor-applicants to a simple and fast eligibility screening of the applicants using the computerized registry and post-qualification of the lowest bidder only. This has significantly shortened the bidding process from one year to only two to four months.

New Contractor's Billing Guidelines. - These have shortened the processing of payments to contractors to only one to two months, while ensuring accurate billings.

Web Site. - DPWH recently launched an Internet web site. The web page will contain, among other information, bidding procedures, bidding schedules, advertisements for bids, and results of bids, which will result in wider information on program and status of major projects, road travel conditions, DPWH reforms and other vital information to the public.

Other Process Improvements. - These include road network planning and multi-year programming, project/contract management system, financial management system, pavement management, maintenance management, and nationwide electronic communications network. (PNA)
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