Angara bats for envt'l sustainability in infra projects

Senator Edgardo Angara pushes for environmental sustainability in implementing infrastructure projects, asserting that "the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) should do its share in promoting a cleaner, greener Philippines ."

Angara, chair of the Senate Subcommittee C on Finance which handled both the DPWH and DENR budget, has specified the greening of roads as a requirement for DPWH contracts in the recently-signed Php1.227-trillion national budget for 2008.

"We have asked the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to require the winning road contractors to plant trees on roadsides. They shall include in their design the planting of indigenous trees such as narra and molave which are now fast disappearing because of forest destruction."

In this light, Angara has also tasked the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to set up seedling banks that will provide government contractors of indigenous planting materials to be planted along highways, roadsides, and other vacant portions of lands. The income generated from the seedling banks will be used for its maintenance.

Angara also challenges the DPWH to support and coordinate with the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in setting up farmer-friendly infrastructure projects like farm-to-market roads.

The implementation of DAR's projects has been restricted to DAR[1], with technical supervision from the DPWH over infrastructure projects.