TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PIA) – The Provincial Motor Pool (PMP) disclosed that some of the Capitol’s equipment bought in 2009 are running on “cannibalized parts” from units that are beyond economic repairs.
“If there is a re-fleeting need, it may start with Capitol’s service vehicles,” said PMP Head Engr. Abraham Clarin during the Capitol Reports press conference held last November.
Clarin explained that considering the few equipment and service vehicles that the office maintains, the immediate need for re-fleeting is not with the heavy equipment but with the service vehicles that the Capitol departments keep, especially those which have been running for 10 years.
Gov. Erico Aristotle Aumentado has stressed the need for an efficient road maintenance program to facilitate the speedy flow of goods and services.
The governor has also insisted on manpower development and protection.
The PMP is tasked to repair and maintain all heavy equipment and service vehicles which the Provincial Engineer’s Office and Capitol Departments use in their operations, road maintenance, and civil works.
Clarin said the office maintains a total of 81 heavy equipment and a few service vehicles, many of which have been returned to the Provincial General Services Office (PGSO).
The Bureau of Local Government and Finance bared that heavy equipment used in construction have an economic life that stretches 10 years from the date of purchase.
For transportation equipment like motor vehicles, the provincial government estimates seven years of useful life.
Of the 81 units, Clarin said they maintain 4 bulldozers, 8 backhoes, 4 pay loaders, 25 dump trucks, 14 road graders, 12 road rollers, a prime mover, a water tanker, fuel tanker, and 10 service vehicles of the PMP and the PGSO.
Of the total, 32 units are two years and older, and that a road grader bought in 1990s is still operational, he said.
“PMP has to make sure that of the 81 units, at least 80 percent or 64 of them should be in running condition to continuously serve the needs of the provincial engineers at every given time,” said Clarin.
Most of these equipment were bought in 2006 and 2009, he said.
PMP Admin Officer Agustin Aleria revealed that their office does not use up all the budget allocated for heavy equipment repairs.
“Our maintenance costs only about 80 percent of the allocated budget, which tells us our maintenance teams are doing well,” Aleria said.
While construction equipment may have long physical life, it comes with costly repairs and expensive maintenance.
Despite the need for more equipment to maintain the 850 kilometers of provincial roads, 520 kilometers of them are still gravel and earth.
In the maintenance of around 4,500 kilometers of municipal and barangay roads, Clarin said the costs could be staggering. (RAHC/PIA7 Bohol)
