Ex-DPWH exec says FMR in Tacloban validated by DA
TACLOBAN CITY—The district engineer of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in this city has refuted Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian’s claim that the farm-to-market (FMR) road connecting Barangay Bagacay and San Roque here was overpriced and linked to former Speaker Martin Romualdez, the representative of Leyte’s first congressional district that included Tacloban.
“It is not correct. The former Speaker has no role in this project as it was the Department of Agriculture (DA) regional office that identified and funded it,” Rebecca Yuse, who retired last June, said in an interview on Monday.
Gatchalian made the allegation during the Senate budget hearing of the DA, questioning the cost of the Tacloban FMR under the agency’s development program.
Deputy Speaker and Antipolo City Rep. Ronaldo Puno warned that the renewed allegations appear to be part of a “demolition job” against Romualdez ahead of his scheduled appearance before the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI).
Nearing completion
Yuse, who served as Tacloban City District Engineering Office (TCDEO) chief when the project began in 2024, said it was unfair to label the initiative as overpriced or irregular, stressing that it underwent validation and approval by both the DA and DPWH.
She explained that the P100-million project, which is now 92-percent complete, is targeted for completion by Oct. 30.
“The (total project) amount was not solely for the road construction. The area is mountainous, requiring extensive excavation, slope protection, and drainage canals to ensure the safety and stability of the road,” she said.
Yuse emphasized that these additional engineering components—such as embankment and drainage structures—were implemented in coordination with the DA to address the area’s steep terrain and vulnerability to landslides.
“These works explain the cost difference compared with flatland FMRs. They are essential for the project’s durability and for the safety of motorists and farmers using the road,” she added.
Yuse also dismissed insinuations that this was a “ghost project.”
“I personally visited the area several times. The project exists and is nearing completion. There were no ghost projects under my watch,” she said.
A summary of documents from the TCDEO and the DA-Regional Field Office VIII, which was sent to the Inquirer, confirmed that the Barangay 93 Bagacay FMR and the Barangay San Roque FMR Phase 2 were part of the approved Farm-to-Market Road Development Program of the DA for Eastern Visayas.
The DA also validated the Bagacay FMR’s cost at P12.71 million per kilometer, consistent with the national standard for mountain-type FMRs.
‘Terribly unfair’
Meanwhile, Puno noted that the projects were “not very big undertakings” and had passed scrutiny by both the DPWH and DA, including the agriculture secretary.
“There is scapegoating that is going on, and then people are pointing to other people to escape responsibility,” he stressed.
Puno pointed out that Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. himself mentioned “ghost” and “substandard” projects in other provinces, but none of those were in Leyte.
“If you remember, he mentioned ghost projects; none are located there. He mentioned substandard projects; none are located there. So I don’t know where that report came from about the Leyte farm-to-market roads,” he added.
Puno called the issue’s timing and framing “terribly unfair,” saying it creates “a lynch-mob mentality trying to pin the (former) Speaker alone to all of the things that have happened.”
Romualdez has signified his intention to appear at the ICI hearing on Oct. 14. —WITH REPORTS FROM KRIXIA SUBINGSUBING AND FAITH ARGOSINO
