Manalang Out As New DPWH Director Assumes Bikol Post

LEGAZPI CITY (14 Oct) -A NEW PUBLIC WORKS director is due to assume his new post at the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) regional office in this city on Friday (October 15).

Current Public Works Director for Bikol, architect Danilo C. Manalang will be replaced by Engineer Danilo E. Dequito on the strength of Special Order no. 89 issued by DPWH Sec. Rogelio C. Singson dated Sept. 13, 2010, designating Dequito as Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Regional Director for DPWH Bicol.

DPWH regional administrative officer Flor Azotea said that unlike previous turnovers with reception and ceremonies at the regional office here, Friday's change of leadership at the DPWH will be concluded with the signing of records by both directors and a close door conference.

Azotea said that in the recent relief order issued by Sec. Singson, Manalang and two other DPWH assistant directors in Bikol, engineers Oscar Cristobal and Jaime Martinez, were being terminated with the "expiration of their appointment" on November 1 this year.

Reportedly, this was based on Memorandum Circular no.2, dated July 29 this year, issued by President Benigno Aquino III, terminating the services of non-CESO eligible heads of offices.

A  DPWH official noted that the with termination of two assistant directors here, their tasks will be assumed by a lone assistant director.

Meanwhile, new directives from DPWH Sec. Singson had increased the authority of DPWH district offices to implement projects, to as much as P 50-Million from the previous P 20-Million worth of projects, but with their biddings and awards centralized in the DPWH Central Office in Manila.

Reportedly, a new policy will decentralize the implementation of public works projects from the regional offices and delegate the projects to district offices nationwide. (SONNY SALES)