BAGUIO CITY – Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson is eyeing this city as pilot site for his planned nationwide sophisticated road upgrading and flood control projects.

            Rep. Bernardo Vergara and Mayor Mauricio Domogan bared this after the 101^st Baguio Day program last Sept. 1 where Singson served as guest of honor and speaker.

            The two officials presented to Singson the city’s priority concerns particularly the continuation of the circumferential road project and the perennial flooding problem at the City Camp lagoon area.

            Singson in his speech mentioned said concerns as he discussed his department’s flagship program to improve roads and achieve a permanent solution to the flooding problem along with raising the quality standards of infrastructure projects all over the country in keeping with President Aquino’s thrust to institute a meaningful change in government service.

The city’s top officials said that Singson promised to include the circumferential road and the City Camp flood control works in the said flagship program of the department.

“This is a significant development for our city to be adopted as pilot project for the implementation of upgrading of national roads and flood control into international standards,” Vergara said in his press briefing last Friday.

He expressed hope that the two projects would be approved by the appropriations committee during the budget hearing for DPWH projects to enable the city to benefit from the DPWH program.

Vergara’s elation was echoed by Domogan who earlier expressed concern on the possibility that the circumferential road will be included in the projects of which funding was withheld by the new administration.

He said he is glad that Singson saw for himself the advantage and benefit of the circumferential road project and agreed to work out its completion.

The circumferential road project was implemented by the national government through the DPWH to link all major access roads going in and out of the city.

The project which initially costs P300 million aims to decongest traffic at the Central Business Center and at the same time facilitate development in the suburbs as way if dispersing economic opportunities in other areas of the city.

As to the lagoon project, Vergara said Singson disclosed a plan to employ modern technology in the area as in other flood-prone places in the country by excavating a large hole 22 meters deep in a one-hectare area and turning it into a reservoir to impound floodwaters which will be purified through the use of scientific method for reuse during the dry season.

He said that upon inspection, the lagoon site is feasible with its total area of five hectares including those built upon.

He said the project is promising as it will not only address the problem on flooding that affect at least ten barangays in the area but also the water scarcity which is also a main problem for the city.

“With this welcome development, we hope that everything will turn out well and these projects will be realized for the benefit of our people,” Vergara said. – A Refuerzo