Petition-rocked Local Government of Gubat, Sorsogon, made public its answer to the online petition posted in CHANGE.ORG , which is protesting the proposed Coastal Road Project which might harm the coastal and mangrove eco-system and bio-diversity.
LGU-Gubat tossed the blame on another government agency, saying the project is “not ours”.
LGU-Gubat said the Coastal Road Project in Barangay Cogon is a project of the National Government that will be implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Regional Office.
Just like any government institution, the national government spends its money where its priorities are, and is bound by its own guidelines.
This project, as a matter of record, cannot be found in any of the major planning documents of Gubat—Annual Investment Program, Comprehensive Development Plan, and Comprehensive Land Use Plan.
According to LGU-Gubat, the Provincial Development Council (PDC) would have forwarded the project proposal to the Regional Development Council, which would have endorsed the same to the National Economic Development Council which, in turn, would have recommended it to the Department of Budget and Management for consolidation into the National Expenditure Program to be submitted to Congress for inclusion in the national budget.
It follows that LGU-Gubat did not propose this project to PDC.
Meantime, citizen Allan Espallardo started on December 2, 2021 the online petition, “Save the Coast of Gubat Bay, Sorsogon,” at CHANGE.ORG .
As of Wednesday, December 8, 2021, 236 signatures were generated in the online petition, and the numbers are expected to go higher.