Private contractors’ road-clearing equipment outnumber government’s

Dump trucks, payloaders, graders and other road-clearing equipment belonging to private contractors outnumber those deployed by the government in areas devastated by Supertyphoon “Yolanda.”

This was disclosed to the Inquirer by a top official of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), who lauded the construction and engineering supply firms for their prompt response to appeals for help in the typhoon-hit areas.

Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson earlier said the DPWH had tapped the Philippine Contractors Association (PCA) to do rehabilitation work in Region 8.

The 1,500-member PCA handles about 80 percent of all government infrastructure projects.

Last week, the DPWH fielded 20 dump trucks and five payloaders to Eastern Visayas.

According to the DPWH official, among the “early birds” in the road-clearing operations included Sunwest Construction and Development Corp., CM Pancho, Yakal Builders and Mac Builders.

Two days after Yolanda’s onslaught, Sunwest sent 10 dump trucks, two payloaders, two graders and one gasoline tanker to Leyte, the official said.

Last Saturday, it fielded another 10 dump trucks and distributed 5,000 bags of relief goods.

CM Pancho sent a team from its Western Samar project to clear the roads to the San Juanico Bridge that were littered with debris.

It also sent teams to clear the roads in Tacloban City and Palo, said the official, who asked not to be identified for lack of authority to speak to the media.

Both Yakal Builders and Mac Builders left their project sites in northeastern Samar to clear the roads leading to Guiuan, according to the official.

The official said that road-clearing and relief-operation teams organized by Metro Manila-based PCA members were set to leave for Region 8.

The DPWH Public Information Division on Sunday said relief operations were moving at a faster pace with the opening of all national roads in the region.

“Road clearing work is now focused on the secondary roads, as well as Tacloban City streets,” said PID chief Elizabeth Pilorin.

Singson earlier reported that 36 of the 136 national road sections in the region had been adversely affected by the typhoon. He later said that all roads had been cleared and were passable.—Jerry E. Esplanada