Mayor Nito Durano of Danao City has officially withheld permits for several Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) projects slated for the city in 2026. This decisive move stems from the local government's assessment that the proposed initiatives do not align with the city's urgent and priority needs.
Questionable Road Concreting Projects Halted
The stance of the mayor was revealed by Vice Mayor Ivy Durano during a press briefing. She explained that many of the projects submitted by the DPWH 5th District involved the re-concreting of roads that are still in good and serviceable condition. "It is sad to think that the projects submitted by the DPWH to Mayor Nito for 2026 are not the city's priority projects," the vice mayor stated.
DPWH officials had conducted a courtesy call on Mayor Durano to request the necessary "permit to proceed" for their suggested works. However, following an assessment and inspection carried out by the Danao City Engineering Office, it was found that most of the roads targeted for concreting did not yet require such work.
Mayor Advocates for Responsible Spending
Mayor Durano strongly questioned the logic behind the proposed projects. "There are still other roads in Danao that need concreting, so why tear up those that are still good?" he declared, emphasizing his opposition to replacing roads that remain functional. Consequently, the mayor did not approve the suggested projects and refused to issue the required permits.
For Mayor Durano, infrastructure development must respond to the actual conditions on the ground and the genuine needs of the people, rather than being pursued simply because funds are available or plans were pre-made.
Formal Request to Reallocate Funds to Urgent Needs
In a follow-up action, Mayor Durano has formally written to the Office of the President to outline the city's true priority projects. These critical needs include:
- The rehabilitation and repair of bridges.
- The repair of flood mitigation structures that were damaged or washed away by Typhoon Tino.
The city government is also formally requesting the cancellation of the deemed unnecessary projects and the rechanneling of the DPWH funds to address these urgent and priority requirements of Danao City.
The Danao City Government affirmed that it remains open to collaboration with all national government agencies. However, it made clear its commitment to protect the interest, safety, and funds of Danawanons through proper, equitable, and responsible project planning and implementation.
