The DPWH answered criticisms on allegedly grabbing credit for the Iloilo Esplanade project.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) recently answered criticisms on allegedly grabbing credit for the Iloilo Esplanade project.
On Friday, Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar drew criticisms on social media after sharing a drone-captured image of the Iloilo Esplanade project.
“Drone inspection of the Iloilo Esplanade. #BuildBuildBuild” Villar wrote in a post on his official Facebook page along with the hashtag #BuildBuildBuild.
So far, the said post had garnered 37,000 reactions and at least 5,700 shares.
Some netizens in the comments section were quick to call out Villar for allegedly credit-grabbing the project with some pointing out that the said project was opened in 2012.
Even Iloilo Board Member Jason Gonzales, who was also a former Iloilo City Councilor, told Villar to refrain from “credit-grabbing”.
In order to address the said issue, DPWH “Build Build Build” Committee chairman Anna Mae Lamentillo said in the comments section that the said photo showed the Iloilo River Esplanade 6 — an 850-meter riverside promenade spanning from Jalandoni Bridge to Forbes Bridge and was funded in both 2017 and 2018.
According to Lamentillo, eight out of 10 Esplanade projects along Iloilo River were “constructed from 2016 to 2020”.
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GMA News Online reported that those who pointed out that the said project started during the Aquino administration might be referring to the Esplanade 1, Esplanade 1 Extension, and Esplanade 2 which have funding years ranging from 2010 – 2015.
“Halin man ko sa Iloilo (I also came from Iloilo). But don’t take my word for it. Ask them for proof, docs that Iloilo Esplanade 6 was funded prior to 2016. By then — we’d know who’s stating facts,” Lamentillo said in the comments section.
The 1.2-km Iloilo River Esplanade 1 was formally opened last August 2012. Based on the report, the Esplanade 1 stretched from Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. Avenue to Carpenter’s Bridge in Mandurriao District.
Senator Franklin Drilon was the one who pushed for the said project and was even slapped with a plunder complaint last 2013 for allegedly giving PHP 70 million in priority development assistance fund (PDAF) for the Iloilo Esplanade I project.
In order to further clarify the said issue, Villar said in a separate post on Facebook that the Iloilo River Esplanade Project extending from Carpenter’s Bridge along Iloilo Diversion Road to Quirino Lopez Bridge to Muelle Loney Bridge was “almost complete”.
“Out of the ten esplanade projects along Iloilo River with a total funding of 1.12 Billion php, 8 projects in the amount of 838 million were constructed from 2016 to 2021,” Villar said along with the hashtag #BuildBuildBuild.
Based on Villar’s Facebook post, the Esplanade 3 to Esplanade 10 have funding years ranging from 2016 – 2020.
Lamentillo, meanwhile, told GMA News Online that 6.385 km out of the entire 9.035-km stretch of the Iloilo Esplanade Project were “completed from 2016 to 2021”.
“There are 10 projects under the plan… with different funding years,” Lamentillo said.
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