Instead, Mayor Ramon “Nito” Durano III of Danao City asked President Marcos Jr. to realign the budget to fund two bridge projects the city needs, especially during floods.
“We have communities exposed to flood risk with no bridge infrastructure while resources are programmed for roads that function adequately,” Durano said in a letter to President Marcos Jr. dated Dec. 16, 2025, a copy of which was furnished to InsiderPH.
Durano, who belongs to an old political clan in Cebu, said the DPWH allocated P89,350,214 under the 2026 proposed budget to fund four infrastructure projects.
These are the Cebu North Hagnaya Wharf asphalting projects (two segments) worth P58,167,910; the Cebu North Hagnaya Wharf road-widening project at P12,294,790; Danao Bridge No. 2 retrofitting at P13,887,514; and the completion of the two-story DPWH district office building worth P5 million.
Road repairs questioned
There is also the construction of C.P. Garcia Street that has already been bid out under the SIPAG (Sustainable Infrastructure Projects Alleviating Gaps) Project.
But Durano pointed out that C.P. Garcia Street remained in “good and serviceable condition with no significant structural defects that required reconstruction.”
Based on the inspection report conducted by Danao City Engineer Rosette Villaflor, C.P. Garcia remains serviceable. Its surface and drainage facility showed no damage, major deterioration, or structural defects.
“Considering that the current condition and use of C.P. Garcia Street remain serviceable, major road construction is not necessary at this time. Other infrastructure damaged by Typhoon ‘Tino’ requires immediate and urgent attention, reconstruction, rehabilitation, and repair,” Villaflor said in her report dated Dec. 16.
Funds reprogramming sought
Durano, in his letter, said the DPWH district engineer had acknowledged that the road was in good condition and promised to implement projects that would respond to the communities’ needs.
Like the C.P. Garcia Street, the mayor said the Cebu North Hagnaya Wharf road also didn’t need any rehabilitation.
He added that the other DPWH-identified projects also paled in urgency compared with the two bridge projects, which would address an ongoing public safety crisis affecting thousands of residents.
Durano asked President Marcos Jr. to cancel the SIPAG project and reprogram the P89 million infrastructure project intended for Danao in 2026 in favor of two priority projects: Construction of Guinacot to Quisol Bridge and reconstruction of Danao Bridge 1.
Replacing the old Guinacot–Quisol Bridge with a modern structure will provide safer passage, especially during floods, as it serves as a critical evacuation route for affected residents and ensures continued access to essential services during disasters.
Durano also said there was a need to replace the Danao Bridge I in Barangay Danao which was destroyed during the onslaught of typhoon “Tino” last Nov. 4, isolating communities and preventing access to essential services, markets and emergency response during calamities.
Priorities reassessment urged
While he recognized that mechanisms for adjusting infrastructure priorities involve complex administrative and legal processes, Durano said he was confident that the Marcos administration, with the cooperation of the DPWH and the Department of Budget and Management, would be able to identify lawful means to redirect resources toward more urgent infrastructure needs.
Repairing roads that have not even deteriorated cannot be justified especially when there were more critical projects needed by the communities.
“DPWH infrastructure programming should be responsive to actual, demonstrated community needs -as verified through local government technical assessments- rather than adhering rigidly to pre-determined allocations that do not address urgent priorities. This principle applies with equal force to the 2026 programmed budget,” Durano said.
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