Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Vince Dizon on Tuesday, June 3 clarified that the rehabilitation of the Epifanio De Los Santos Avenue (EDSA) is only postponed and not technically cancelled.
Dizon pointed this out during the hearing of his ad interim appointment before the Commission on Appointments (CA) Committee on Transportation.
00:00Mr. Quince, my questions will focus on the ongoing and proposed projects of this administration.
00:08Recently, I believe the other day, President BBM said that the EDSA rebuild would be suspended.
00:21Would this mean that the EDSA rebuild would be canceled?
00:24No, sir, Madam Chair.
00:32The President said, especially in DPWH, where he is the lead agency in EDSA rebuild.
00:42He said, let us find a better way.
00:44And when he said a better way, he essentially meant a way that will be faster so para hindi masyadong mahirapan ng ating mga kababayang dumadaan sa EDSA.
00:56So, ang sabi niya, imbes na dalawang taon, ang gusto po niya ay anim na buwan lang.
01:02So, ang sabi po niya, one month, balikan niyo ko ulit with a better way.
01:07At tignan natin kung ma-address nito yung mga concerns ng ating mga kababayan.
01:12So, hindi naman po ibig sabihin canceled, Madam Chair, Your Honor.
01:17Pero sabi niya po talaga ng Pangulo, nakinig po siya sa ating mga kababayan for us to find a better way and a faster way.
01:24We know that the EDSA rebuild will be forthcoming.
01:28However, there was no mention of the amount allocated for this big project.
01:36Mayroon bang ballpark figure ng administration regarding this project?
01:40Opo, nagsabi po ang DPWH ng amount hanggang 2026, end of 2026, ito po ay 8.7 billion.
01:51Pero po, yung pong mga matitira pa na aabot ng 2027, ang estimate po ng DPWH, ang total po ay aabot ng 15 billion, 1.5 billion po.
02:03So, what is now the status of these projects has already been beaded out?
02:08We know very well that the procurement process is quite tedious, no?
02:13Minsan, na maabot niya ng 2 to 3 months, sometimes 4 months.
02:17Now, if it will be suspended for 1 month, so meaning, all of these procurement processes have already been initiated.
02:24Na-beading na po ba itong mga projects po dahil sa rebuild?
02:30Sa akin pong pagkakaalam, again, subject to the verification from the DPWH, who is the lead implementing agency, is advanced stages na po ng procurement.
02:40Meron na po atang mga natapos na ang procurement, pero aginsunod nga po dito sa utos ng ating Pangulo na ipos muna at maganap ng mas maganda at mas mabilis na paraan.
02:53Baka po kailangan is, ano, mag-adjust po ang DPWH dito.
02:57But again, this is, ano po, I have to defer to the DPWH on this po.
