House panel dismayed over absence of DPWH officials in Ungka Flyover hearing
By Tara Yap
ILOILO CITY – The House Committee on Public Works and Highways grilled the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) over the substandard flyover in Iloilo that was a pet project of former Ilonggo Sen. Franklin M. Drilon.
The committee was dismayed that top DPWH officials failed to show up in the August 15 congressional hearing on the P680-million Ungka Flyover which has been closed to vehicular traffic for almost a year.

PROTESTERS flock to the unused P680-million Ungka Flyover that straddles Pavia town and Iloilo City on Tuesday, May 23. The flyover is a project pushed by former Ilonggo Sen. Franklin Drilon. (Tara Yap)
Only DPWH-6 Assistant Regional Director Al Fruto was present.
Rep. Romeo Momo of Surigao del Sur, committee chairperson, berated DPWH for not providing a copy of the report of a firm hired independently to probe the technical and geological problems of the sinking flyover that has caused heavy traffic.
The congressional hearing was in response to the resolution of Reps. Raoul Danniel Manuel of Kabataan party-list, Arlene Brosas of Gabriela party-list, and France Castro of ACT Teachers party-list to conduct a legislative inquiry.
“This is very frustrating,” Manuel told Manila Bulletin in a phone interview.
Manuel, an Ilonggo, said DPWH has no sense of urgency to find a solution to the problems that caused inconvenience for the people of Iloilo for almost a year.
It is unclear when the next committee hearing would be but Manuel is urging DPWH to cooperate in the probe as well as make concrete solutions.