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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Mindanao devider Davao Occidental mayor presses contractors to complete unfinished roads

Davao Occidental mayor presses contractors to complete unfinished roads

Published Oct 9, 2025 02:54 pm
JOYCE (LGU photo)
JOYCE (LGU photo)
DAVAO CITY – The mayor of a remote coastal town in Davao Occidental remains hopeful that unfinished and substandard projects in the municipality will be completed or repaired amid ongoing investigations on alleged anomalous infrastructure projects nationwide.
The town of Jose Abad Santos in Davao Occidental was recently put on the spotlight due to alleged ghost flood control projects and substandard roads.
Mayor Jason John Joyce hinted that there are more alleged anomalous government projects in his town, lamenting that these have been affecting the welfare of his constituents.
Joyce said the people of JAS are supportive of the ongoing investigations by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI).
He added that he is hopeful that the investigations could put pressure on the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and contractors to finish incomplete and repair defective projects.
“But the most important for us are the highways, more particularly those leading to the upland villages of San Isidro, Quiapo, and Molmol because the roads there are not yet concrete,” Joyce said.
“Never pa ‘yan napuntahan ng DPWH. Usually kami lang sa LGU ang nare-repair at gumagawa ng mga malilit na kalsada. “
(The DPWH has never been to these roads. We the LGU usually repair and build these roads)
On Sept. 25, Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon and then Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) Special Adviser Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong discovered an alleged P96-million ghost flood control project in Barangay Culaman implemented by controversial Discaya-owned Saint Timothy Construction Corp.
A few days later, the Department of Agriculture (DA) identified substandard and non-existent farm-to-market roads (FMRs) in Davao Occidental and Zamboanga del Norte.
On Oct. 8, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in the Davao region said that they have commenced an investigation on 13 anomalous flood control projects discovered in Davao Occidental.
Joyce said that they are hoping that the ongoing investigation could eventually help allocate more funds to build road networks for the three upland barangays.
Joyce lamented that road conditions going to these barangays are very bad as residents’ main mode of transportation are motorcycles.
“But during rainy days, it’s very difficult. The villagers are using horses to transport to go out of the village as well as in transporting their farm produce,” he said.
The mayor said these barangays are suitable for high value crops production.
However, due to poor road conditions, farmers may have lost an economic opportunity, Joyce said.
The mayor bemoaned the impact of poor road conditions on his constituents’ access to health services.
Joyce said it would take three to five hours to travel from Barangay San Isidro to the town proper depending on the road conditions compared to Glan proper is at least an hour away.
Thus, residents prefer to bring their patients or sell their farm produce to Glan than to the town proper.
Joyce said that there was an allocation from DPWH to build two farm-to-market roads to link the barangays to the coastal area. However, according to him, not even a meter was paved. He suspects that these FMRs are among those being investigated.
Joyce said that they have started to build a road network that cuts through Barangay Butulan going to San Isidro to shorten travel time.
He said that even with the limited budget for road construction, it could already ease movement of farm produce as well as provide little convenience to residents to access health services.
“From Glan, you would know that it’s part of JAS because the road is no longer paved.”
He appealed that a road network should link the barangays to the coastal area to enable residents to have convenient travel to Glan or General Santos City.
“But recently, I received reports that the contractors have resumed their work. I hope it will be completed,” Joyce said.

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Jose Abad Santos Davao Occidental Mayor Jason Joyce
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