DPWH fixes pothole 4 hours after report by Nebrija

Here in the Philippines, it is already established that road repairs, especially the small ones e.g.: potholes, could take months, maybe even years before they get repaired by local government units or the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Heck, most of the time, these small potholes will not get repaired or patched until after they become big enough for a complete re-blocking of the road.

Today, July 17, 2023, it was demonstrated that it is possible for these road hazards to be repaired almost immediately – within 4 hours of reporting, to be exact.

In a recent social media post by Metropolitan Manila Development Authority’s (MMDA) traffic tzar, Col. Edison “Bong” Nebrija lauded the DPWH’s quick response after he reported a traffic hazard (pothole) along Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City. According to Nebrija, he radioed MMDA’s metrobase at about 6:47 AM to request contacting DPWH and inform them about the pothole. By the time he and his team passed by Katipunan again at around 11:07 AM, the DPWH has already deployed a team and is already busy patching up the road hazard.

“I reported this pothole to Metrobase at 6:47 AM and asked them if they could coordinate with DPWH to patch these holes along Katipunan Ave. We passed by again at 11:07 AM and they are already asphalting it. Now that’s where your taxes go!” said Nebrija on his social media post.

This is very positive news, especially for motorists. The DPWH not only responded in record time but has also demonstrated that road repairs don’t need to wait months or even years (or the next fatal accident) before action is taken.

Let’s just hope that we, as citizens, can also take an active role in reporting to DPWH the many road hazards we encounter every day and that we don’t need to be a government heavyweight before they respond to our calls.