PRESIDENT Marcos (left) inspecting the rockshed. (FB)
TUBA, Benguet – Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan on Monday defended the Kennon Road rockshed project, which President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. branded as "useless" during his inspection on Sunday.
In an interview, Bonoan assured that the Kennon Road rockshed remains effective in shielding motorists from falling rocks.
He also ordered immediate repairs on nearby structures weakened by recent landslides caused by a series of weather disturbances last month.
The DPWH chief visited Tuba, Benguet to inspect the riverbed below the rockshed and to assess how to better safeguard the structure.
During the inspection, Bonoan stressed that the rockshed remains intact and continues to serve its purpose.
He assured the public that no funds had gone to waste, debunking earlier information that reached the President.
Bonoan added that he will also brief the President on the original design of the Kennon Road rockshed, which was intended to span 250 meters to fully cover the hazardous section prone to landslides.
The project, estimated at P498 million, had to be scaled down to 151 meters due to budget limitations, leaving parts of the slope unprotected.
"I will report to the President on the current status of the rockshed, the challenges brought by the reduced scope, and the real story behind the project," he said.
On Sunday, Marcos denounced the P260- million rockshed project along the major road as "useless," confirming reports that the structure’s slope protection had disintegrated, causing soil collapse, rock falls, and the closure of a portion of the vital thoroughfare.
Bonoan explained that the rockshed was built in response to a study identifying the instability of Kennon Road’s mountain slopes, which frequently trigger landslides.
“Dito sa area na ito nagkaroon ng assessment, one of the suggestions is a rockshed. Kung makikita po kasi natin bumababa po ng bumababa 'yung sa taas,” he said.
Bonoan said falling rocks from about 300 meters high damaged an old crib wall below the structure, but the rockshed itself withstood the impact.
"DPWH-CAR (Cordillera Administrative Region) will submit its report tomorrow, and I will also submit a report to the President on what really happened here, the status of the project, and what can be done to prevent future damage. We still have a quick response fund that we can use for this," he added. (PNA)