The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has re-affirmed its support to the government of Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) with the signing of two agreements at DPWH Central Office in Manila.
DPWH Secretary Mark Villar and Ministry of Public Works (MPW)-BARMM Minister Eduard Guerra signed the memorandum of agreement (MOA) to turn-over the DPWH Cotabato City District Engineering Office to the auspices of the BARMM and the interim implementation arrangements/protocols of various infrastructure projects of the national government in Bangsamoro.
Other signatories as witnesses of these agreements were DPWH Undersecretary for Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Operations Emil Sadain who is also the Focal Person for BARMM Infra Projects and alternate representative in the Inter-Agency Task Force Bangon Marawi, and MPW-BARMM Director General Danilo Ong.
The event was also attended by MPW-BARMM Deputy Minister Abdul Maomit Tomawis and DPWH Region 12 Legal Division Chief Atty. Jahara Ali-Macadato while others participated virtually via zoom including Bangsamoro Government Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim and Senior Minister Abdulraof Macacua; DPWH Undersecretaries Ardeliza Medenilla and Eugenio Pipo Jr.; DPWH Assistant Secretary Ador Canlas; Assistant Secretary Wilben Mayor of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process; DPWH UPMO Project Directors; DPWH Regional Directors in Regions 9, 10 and 12; MPW District Engineers; and other Bangsamoro parliament members.
“With the inclusion of Cotabato City under BARMM, DPWH officially transfers the DPWH Cotabato City District Engineering Office land, building, equipment, and assets located in Barrio Kakar, Cotabato City to the jurisdiction of MPW-BARMM pursuant to Republic Act 11054 or An Act Providing for the Organic Law for the BARMM,” Villar explained.
“A Project Management Office for Maguindanao is created to handle the implementation of various DPWH national projects.”
“A Project Management Office (PMO) for Maguindanao is created to handle the implementation of various DPWH national projects within the Province of Maguindanao inclusive of Cotabato City,” the public works chief added.
The other agreement covers the two-year implementation arrangements/protocols of infrastructure projects of the national government in the BARMM.
Under the interim implementation arrangement, the DPWH is tasked to lead in the identification of various national infrastructure projects in BARMM, in coordination with MPW.
The MPW may recommend and initiate requests of proposed flagship projects directly to the BARMM government parliament for funding and consideration.
DPWH is however required to furnish MPW copies of all approved reports/studies, plans, annual procurement plan, procurement monitoring report, and list of contracts awarded with the name of contractor of all DPWH projects in BARMM.
MPW shall also be notified and invited as observers in pre-bid conferences, pre-construction conferences of DPWH projects in BARMM and be assisted in capability development in matters related to procurement.
Quarterly coordination meetings shall also be conducted between two parties for the evaluation of the projects under the national government.
During the construction, the DPWH Regional Office or PMO that will handle the direct implementation of all national infra for BARMM funded by the General Appropriations Act (GAA) shall furnish project progress to MPW, and invite the latter on final inspection of projects. The MPW may conduct an independent project monitoring of completed projects.
The maintenance of national roads and bridges shall also be under the national government in close coordination with the BARMM.
The maintenance of national roads and bridges shall also be under the national government in close coordination with the BARMM.
Minor maintenance works and emergency/disaster response in BARMM can be delegated by the DPWH to the MPW through a separate MOA.
On foreign-assisted projects, DPWH-UPMO headed by Sadain shall remain the lead in coordination with MPW.
This interim agreement is effective for a period of two years upon approval or until such time that the Regional Project Management Office and PMOs for Bangsamoro are created and fully-operationalized.
