FOR TOO long, the government’s public works system allowed “paper-only” completions; projects were declared finished on official documents but were, in reality, far from usable or beneficial for the community. A prime example of this in Iloilo City is the Jalandoni Street pumping station which was turned over by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) with numerous defects. The city was forced to spend an additional P10 million just to make the station functional – a case of taxpayers’ money being squandered due to poor oversight during the turnover process.
Thus the decision of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to reinstate the requirement for local government clearance before national infrastructure projects can be declared completed is a welcome development. It is an important step in restoring accountability in the nation’s public works system. It re-centers the focus of project oversight where it truly matters — on the ground — by entrusting local governments with the authority to assess and formally accept projects before they are considered finished.
Iloilo City’s experience is not an isolated one. Across the country, local governments are often left with the responsibility of maintaining public works projects that were hastily or improperly completed by national agencies. Without safeguards in place to ensure projects meet quality standards, local officials are left with the burden of fixing what should have been a functional infrastructure from the start.
This newly reinstated rule empowers local governments to become the final arbiters of whether a project meets the required standards before it is formally accepted. Mayor Raisa Treñas of Iloilo City rightly called this move a “very important safeguard,” as it allows local authorities to ensure that infrastructure projects are not only finished on paper but are also actually functional, durable, and beneficial to their constituents.
This decision recognizes the critical role that local governments play in project oversight. After all, it is local leaders who will have to deal with the consequences of shoddy infrastructure. They are the ones responsible for maintaining and ensuring that these projects serve the community long after the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
It is also a significant victory for transparency. When local governments are given the authority to confirm that a project meets quality standards before it is deemed complete, the entire process becomes more open and accountable. With LGUs now directly involved in the final approval of infrastructure projects, there is a greater assurance that projects will be delivered with the integrity that taxpayers deserve.
