Political leaders in Central Luzon, together with Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority Chairman Felicito Payumo, warned that the proposed revision of the expressway road plan would also delay its completion to another two years even while denying Bataan economic zones more favorable linkage to the ecozones of Clark and Subic.

Payumo revealed that from the original cost estimate of R2.86 billion, the proposed changes in the original road plan will jump to R3.29 billion or about R431 million more.

He, together with Rep. Antonino Roman and Gov. Enrique “Tet” Garcia, both of Bataan, aired strong objection to the proposal by the National Economic Development Administration (NEDA) to amend the blueprint of the Subic-Clark Expressway, a road project that has been placed under the priority list of President Arroyo’s ten-point agenda.

Noting the additional cost it would entail and its social cost, the three Bataan leaders were joined by lawmakers in Central Luzon in airing serious misgivings about the NEDA plan which, sources claimed, was instigated by an influential Northern Luzon politician.

Under the NEDA proposal, a segment of the road cutting across Dinalupihan town will instead be constructed on a portion of the mountain in order to shorten the proposed highway by at least three kilometers.

“The revised road plan is not only more expensive.  Since it will be constructed on a mountainous terrain, it will create a dam effect and threaten Bataan towns with flood,” Payumo told reporters at the Kapihan sa Sulo Forum in Quezon City.

Bidding for the original expressway plan had already been conducted but government is still negotiating with the winning bidders to further lower the cost of the project.

Aside from the bidding, government had already purchased road rights-of-way for the original plan.
Payumo pointed out that by trying to scrimp on a three-kilometer stretch of road, government will not only shell out R431 million more but will likewise throw away funds that have been spent for the road rights-of-way.