Cotabato Engineering Office gets Senate approval

The Senate today approved on third and final reading a bill which seeks to upgrade the Cotabato Sub-District Engineering Office into the Cotabato City District Engineering Office.

Sen. Bong Revilla Jr., chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Works and sponsor of House Bill 2522, said the district engineering office shall comprise of five barangays in Cotabato City and shall assume jurisdiction over the infrastructure and public works in the city.

Once enacted into law, the secretary of Public Works and Highways shall immediately include in the department's program the operationalization of the Cotabato City District Engineering Office.

"Initial funding of the new engineering office shall be charged against the current year's appropriations of the Cotabato Sub-District Engineering Office. Thereafter, the amount necessary for the continued operation of the office shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act," according to the proposed legislation.

The measure was introduced by Representative Bail Sandra Sema with Sen. Franklin Drilon as co-sponsor. (MAEJOY ALBANO-MIRANDA, PRIB)