Abaday: Consult LGU before implementing national projects

While the city benefits from the infrastructure projects funded by the national government, the lack of coordination with the City Government of Cagayan de Oro before projects are implemented is worrisome.

Councilor Roger Abaday, committee chair on environment, has this to say after he questioned the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) if their ongoing road-widening and drainage projects along Masterson Avenue and Macapagal Drive have adhered to environmental mandates.

COMPLIANT OR COMPLACENT

Engineer Aldrin S. Albano, representing the DPWH, said that they have already secured a permit to cut from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in accordance with Administrative Order 2020-06, which prescribes the incorporation of a mandatory tree planting activity in their project’s program of work.

DENR already received 17,500 seedlings intended to replace the 290 trees marked for removal, he added.

However, Abaday expressed that receiving the seedlings does not mean they have been planted.

“The problem is, were the seedlings already planted?” Abaday asked.

Albano said that no documentation was given to him, and cited that the best person to confirm this is the project’s environmental focal person.

Abaday then called on the officer-in-charge to appear before the committee in the next meeting.

OVERSEEN OR OVERLOOKED

Meanwhile, Councilor Romeo Calizo asked the City Local Environment and Natural Resources Office (CLENRO), being the environmental arm of the city, if DPWH coordinated with them before the project was implemented, adding the LGU should be consulted first.

The CLENRO representative said that they were only informed about the project when the tree-cutting activities were already underway.

“Hindi na pinansin ang LGU as if we have no say sa mga projects. We cannot allow national agencies to impose their will on LGU-CDO without our consent,” he added, urging the City Council to draft a resolution to bolster the city government’s involvement in national projects, especially those with environmental implications.

With this, the Abaday called for a review of the existing city ordinance, which requires LGU coordination in the implementation of national infrastructure projects.