By I. Inojales | 09:00 AM July 03, 2026
TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region VII has admitted before the Bohol Sangguniang Panlalawigan that the proposed Loboc River Protection Project has no completed feasibility study and comprehensive master plan.
During a joint committee hearing on June 24, DPWH Region VII Officer-in-Charge Assistant Regional Director Nonato Paylado said efforts to prepare a master plan began in 2022 but were not completed because most of the agency’s funding was allocated for construction rather than project planning.
Paylado said the agency proposed a budget of P25 million for planning in 2023 but received only P1 million under the General Appropriations Act. He added that allocations amounting to P5.5 million in 2025 and P10 million in 2026 were either delayed or have yet to be fully released.
He also clarified that funds allocated for the nine flood control projects could not be realigned to finance the feasibility study and master planning.
Despite the absence of a completed feasibility study, the DPWH said the project has a technical basis, citing severe riverbank erosion and landslides that threaten roads along the Loboc River.
The agency also expressed its willingness to work with stakeholders and consider alternative engineering solutions.
The joint hearing was conducted by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Committees on Environment and Natural Resources and on Public Works and Highways, chaired by Board Members Jiselle Rae Aumentado Villamor and Nathaniel Binlod, respectively.
Officials from DPWH Region VII, the DPWH Third Engineering District, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Loboc People’s Council, the Loboc Association of Hospitality Accommodation, the local government of Loboc, the Bohol Provincial Environment Management Office, the Bohol Tourism Office, and the Provincial Legal Office attended the hearing.
The committees examined the status of the Loboc River Protection Project and its potential effects on the environment, the livelihoods of riverside residents, and the tourism industry.
The joint committee has since endorsed its committee report, which was approved and adopted by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan during its regular session on June 30, presided over by Vice Governor Nicanor “Nick” Besas.
