Usec EQ, future Secretary at Work: August 17, 1999


 

Boo Chanco wrote:
 
 here's one more satisfied citizen courtesy of our future dpwh secretary, the
 one and only eq.
 
 boo

 "Champoux . Roger" wrote:
 
 Dear Mr. Pablo,

 Thank you very much for your quick and informative answer.  Yes indeed the
 road work started yesterday, and from what I saw, it will be major.  The
 traffic is now one way toward Katipunan, and there was actually very
 little of it around 5:00 pm People probably think the road is completely
 closed.  But it seems there was plenty of additional traffic going toward
 Cubao via Aurora and P. Tuazon in the morning.  So let's be patient.  Too
 bad you don't get the cooperation you would like from the people around
 this area.

 Congratulations, it's great to see somebody in public service who is so
 committed to the welfare of others, more power to you, and many thanks
 again.

 Roger Champoux SJ

 Roger Champoux                    Office:
 Loyola House of Studies           Our Lady of Peace Guidance Center
 PO Box 257 UP Post Office         50 Betty-Go-Belmonte St.
 1144 Quezon City                  1102 Quezon City
 Tel: (632) 426-6101               Tel: (632) 725-5907 or (632) 412-4763
 Fax: (632) 426-6112
Mabini F. Pablo" wrote:

 dear boo and father roger,

     right-o, xavierville ave, is not included in our operation potholes
 list, because "it's been in a state of chaos for several months" and requires
 more than patching. but because "it is an essential alternate to aurora
 blvd. and a vital link for ateneo, miriam and up students", we have
 programmed it for improvement and concreting this year. the project was bid
 out earlier this year but we had to negotiate with xavierville residents for
 a detour route during construction and get clearance for a traffic scheme
 from the mmda. our district engineer reported that they have gotten the
 clearances and assured me that the project would start today. expect traffic
 to worsen in the next 180 days after which we get a better road.

     the katipunan area has been  among the most difficult construction area
 for the dpwh. it has been very difficult getting the cooperation and
 understanding of residents, lot owners and commuters in the area, including
 the ateneo and up.

     hope father roger can help us out by monitoring project works, keeping
 our people on their toes, bearing with the traffic and helping us explain to
 users.

                                                always at your service,

                                                              EQ
 -----Original Message-----
 From: boo chanco <[email protected]>
 To: Champoux . Roger <[email protected]>; <[email protected]>
 Date: Sunday, August 15, 1999 2:45 AM
 Subject: Re: Potholes!

i will forward your e-mail to usec pablo. he will respond to you directly..

boo chanco

Champoux . Roger wrote:

 Dear Mr. Chanco,

 I was glad to hear your comments about POTHOLES in your Star column of
 last Friday, and especially the praise you gave for Undersecretary Mabini
 Pablo (whose e-mail you did not furnish).

 Among all the streets mentioned, I did not see XAVIERVILLE near Katipunan
 Road...  It's been in a state of chaos for several months.  Yet it has
 become an essential alternate road for the traffic of Aurora Blvd. and it
 it is a vital link for Ateneo, Miriam and UP students.

 Is there any plan of repairing that road?  Any way to bring it up to the
 attention of Undersecretary Pablo, or to find out what is happening?

 Thank you very much in advance (of course, I am personally interested
 because I take that road daily but so do thousands of commuters too!).

 Roger Champoux S.J.

Jess Lucas wrote:

 Now it is official! The movement is on? Read Boo Chanco's column today and you will find out. Saludo sa bagong sekretaryo ng DPWH.

----------

Boo Chanco's Article (Philippine Star, August 13, 1999)
 [NOTE:you can get the entire article from the philstar website (www.philstar.com) under business]

x x x
     Potholes
 Actually, the problem isn’t so much how fast DPWH takes care of those potholes but rather, how come we get those many potholes after a storm.Do they use the right materials in paving our roads or are they using substandard materials because of corruption?
 There is no problem with the response time. I sent an e-mail to DPWH Usec Mabini Pablo last Saturday after I drove through the potholes of C-5. By Monday afternoon, they were taking care of the problem. Even before some columnists complained to President Erap about the potholes during a Palace lunch, I already received a call from Undersecretary Pablo telling me they have teams all over the city patching up those holes. The equivalent of 15 kilometers of national roads in Metro Manila were damaged by the recent heavy rains and floods.
 More specifically, the Usec reported that 24 working crews composed of some 300 personnel supported by 40 pieces of heavy equipment including loaders, pavers, dump trucks have been deployed at critical points in Metro Manila. Actual repair works started last Thursday, August 5.  The DPWH repair crews, according to Mr. Pablo, are doing work simultaneously to the extent that the weather and traffic conditions permit. He assured me that they will complete all of the road repair works by August 19 - 20. As of August 10, repair works were completed in 21 areas including EDSA, from Monumento to the QC boundary, Cloverleaf to V.V Soliven, Guadalupe to Ayala; Commonwealth Ave.; North Ave.; South Super Highway;Taft Ave., Ayala Blvd.; Roxas Blvd; Bonifacio Drive and other major roads.
 Work is currently on-going at C-5, Quezon Ave, Katipunan Ave., Timog, Marcos highway, Shaw Blvd, Pedro Gil, Pres Quirino, UN Ave., San Marcelino. He also gave me the phone numbers to their action center where the public may report roads needing repairs. People can also get the latest traffic advisory at the following telephone numbers :527-2737, 527-2609, 527-2610, 527-2621.
 While the Usec was on the phone, I also complained about those uncaring contractors of DPWH Traffic Engineer Group who dug up all of the critical corners on Julia Vargas Avenue in Ortigas and left them unattended even before the storm. The digging was supposed to be for the new “smart” traffic lights they are installing. But couldn’t they work faster, like on a 24 hour basis to minimize inconvenience to motorists?  The diggings have reduced the functional lanes to just one.
 Going back to Usec Mabini Pablo, actually I am quite impressed at how quickly I get a positive response from him when I bring up a problem. He was also all over the metro area during the height of the storm. A newsteam from the Sarimanok News Network (SNN) caught up with him at the pumping station in Tondo supervising operations. He was complaining about the large amount of garbage that hamper their pumping operations.
 Essentially low key and uncomfortable being in the limelight, Usec Pablo, known by his nickname EQ, is one of the career officials of the DPWH who went up through the ranks. He isn’t an engineer but a public administration expert. This might be premature but I was thinking that should Secretary Vigilar decide to finally retire, EQ is the ideal successor. He is from the ranks, capable and has political sense, having been the department’s liason to Congress for many years. The reason EQ and Vigi get along well is because they are bo th clean and committed to public service.
 That’s the great thing about EQ. He still has a squeaky clean record even if he had been at DPWH for most of his career. I am not surprised because even while in high school at UP Prep, his integrity was such that he was the favorite of every student organization to fill the treasurer's position. Now as a career public servant, he is still the same trustworthy EQ and he also gets things done.
 Come to think of it, one of the most effective DPWH secretaries was not an engineer either but a management expert --- Ping de Jesus. Maybe it is time to have another non engineer soon.
 x x x

----------

Jess Lucas wrote:
>
> Saw our favorite Usec again last night on tv. This time, supervising the repair of major roads to ensure Erap's promise to have
all roads damaged by the rains repaired in 24 hours! Again, this time EQ knew what to wear. On tv, his red plaid shirt shouts
performance. Aksiyon agad! Way to go!

----------

"Mabini F. Pablo" wrote:

 boo,

     here's something official for you.

     the dpwh is currently undertaking massive repair works of the equivalent
 of 15 kilometers of national roads in Metro Manila that were damaged by the
 recent heavy rains and floods.

     24 working crews composed of some 300 personnel from the dpwh-ncr
 supported by 40 pieces of heavy equipment including loaders, pavers,dump
 trucks have been deployed at critical points in Metro Manila.

     actual repair works started last thursday, august 5, however, only one
 asphalt plant was operational until sunday, august 8 when two other asphalt
 plants resumed operations to support dpwh repair works. the dpwh repair
 crews are doing work simultaneously to the extent that the weather and
 traffic conditions permit. we expect to complete all of the road repair
 works by august 19 - 20..

     as of august 10, repair works were completed in 21 areas including
 EDSA, from monumento to the QC boundary, cloverleaf to V.V Soliven,
 Guadalupe to Ayala; Commonwealth ave.; North Ave.; South Super highway;Taft
 Ave., Ayala Blvd.;Roxas Blvd; Bonifacio Drive and other major roads.

     work is currently on-going at C-5, Quezon Ave, Katipunan ave.Timog,
 Marcos highway,Shaw Blvd, Pedro Gil, Pres Quirino, UN AVe., San Marcelino
  attached are lists of completed and on-going works)

     the dpwh is issuing daily advisory on the schedule of road repairs to
 guide the public on areas where to expect traffic build up because of on
 going repairs.

     the public may get in touch with the dpwh ncr action center to reports
 roads needing repairs and to get the latest traffic advisory at the
 following telephone numbers : 527-2737, 527-2609, 527-2610, 527- 2621.

      meron ka pang gustong malaman.

                                     EQ
 

----------
 -----Original Message-----
 From: Boo Chanco <[email protected]>
 To: Mabini F. Pablo <[email protected]>; Manny Canillas
 <[email protected]>
 Date: Monday, August 09, 1999 1:22 AM
 Subject: Re: C-5 and Kalayaan

baka puede some time today so i can use it in my column for wednesday and quote
usec pablo extensively. actually, hindi naman kailangan engineer to be dpwh
secretary. one of the more effective we have had was ping de jesus and i don't
think he was an engineer. in the same way, we don't need a doctor to head the
health department. kailangan public administration expert who can make the
system move. Now if you can get them to fix those C-5 potholes, i will lead the
clamor to make you succeed vigilar. if that happens, you have have a portfolio
position. jerry's cabinet rank is simply that, cabinet rank. but then, not
before you get those potholes fixed. there are a couple of really vicious ones
in the northbound lane --- deep ones that you cannot quickly see. at least in
the southbound lane, the whole wide road is a giant pothole so you tend to
drive slowly.

potholes, basura, these are eternal problems we can use to build you up to
cabinet status. who knows, if you do well enough, we can even have a
groundswell for 2004.

boo
----------

"Mabini F. Pablo" wrote:

 boo,

     it must have something to do with the drainage in that area. tubig
 talaga ang kalaban ng aspalto. intersections, too are the most heavily
 subjected to traffic loads, kaya't unang nasisira. will have something
 more
 definite for you tomorrow after i berate some people, unless you prefer
 getting a statement from the presidential spokesman.

                                    EQ
----------

 -----Original Message-----
 From: boo chanco <[email protected]>
 To: [email protected] <[email protected]>
 Date: Friday, August 06, 1999 11:03 PM
 Subject: C-5 and Kalayaan

dear eq,

pare --- bakit sira nanaman yung C-5 corner Kalayaan? that was fixed
less than a year ago. the potholes are rather big. ano ba yung ginagamit
ng dpwh, arina at buhangin?

boo
 

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