A proposed road project amounting to P1 billion is now the subject of dispute between Ilocos Norte First District Representative Sandro Marcos and Laoag City Mayor Michael Keon.

This comes after the lawmaker disclosed the alleged “inflated cost” of the proposed access road which leads to a mall, saying that after checking with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), he discovered that the estimated total cost of the project was only P30 million.

However, Keon defended the P1-billion proposed budget for the road project recently, stressing that the high cost was due to engineering challenges, including the construction of a dike along the Padsan River and the acquisition of private land.

He also clarified that the estimate was a rough figure — not a finalized budget — and that the mall had agreed to cover half the cost.

Keon also revealed that discussions about the project began in February 2024 and questioned why the young Marcos only raised the issue now as he clarified that the Laoag City government should not be financially involved in the project, as it was intended to be managed by the DPWH and the mall.

The Laoag City mayor also stressed that no formal program of works had yet been implemented or presented and described the P1-billion proposed budget as a general estimate based on initial discussions with the mall’s engineers and the city engineer.