The completion of a multi-million farm-to-market roads project in the province remained uncertain after its budget was funneled back to national government coffers due to the fund’s delayed release, said a local Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) official.

According to PCA provincial manager Emiliano Romero, a P31.2-million budget was previously earmarked for the project through the General Appropriations Act (GAA) of 2014.

However, the implementing agency which was the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) was unable to use the fund as it was only released in December, 2014 by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

There was not enough time for the project’s implementation which would have been carried out in seven barangays in Bohol, said Romero.

The multi-million budget was supposedly allocated to villages including Del Carmen Sur in Balilhan, P8 million; Catmonan in Calape and Poblacion 2 in Sikatuna, P2 million each; Tanday in Corella and Baang in Catigbian, P2.3 million each; Calanggaman in Ubay, P9.6 million; and Malbog-Balili in Jagna, P5 million.

The total road length would have been 3.115 kilometers, Romero added.

Meanwhile, the PCA official said that he is not privy to the cause behind the DBM’s delayed release of the fund.

According to Romero, he had already reached out to Governor Edgar Chatto and Cabinet Sec. Leoncio Evasco Jr. for assistance in reallocating the budget to the construction of the roadways.

Romero had also urged concerned local government units to file resolutions calling for the national government to again earmark the budget for the said project’s completion. (Rey Tutas)