Thanks to "tweeps" who reported potholes, over half of Metro Manila's damaged roads have now been repaired, Malacañang claims.
The Department of Public Works and Highways has completed the rehabilitation of 125 national roads in Metro Manila as of Aug. 30, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a statement Tuesday.
This is more than half (51.87 percent) of the 241 reports of damaged roads the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office (PCDSPO) and DPWH received via its social media campaign dubbed "#Lubak2normal."
"As of August 30, 2012, the #Lubak2normal social media campaign of the PCDSPO and the DPWH has received a total of 3,459 tweets," Valte said.
The campaign, launched Aug. 10 in the wake of floods caused by southwest monsoon-spurred downpour, urged Metro Manila residents to report potholes and other road damages via Twitter, using the hashtag "#Lubak2normal."
Valte added that although the campaign covered initially only national roads, which are maintained by the DPWH, it also receive reports on damaged roads under the jurisdiction of Metro Manila local governments.
"As of the latest report from DPWH, 50 percent of these roads have already been repaired," she said.
Valte also noted that 37 percent of reported damaged roads under the jurisdiction of provincial governments have already been addressed.
"The #Lubak2normal campaign has resulted in a convergence between citizen's engagement through reports and the assessment of road repair initiatives by government," Valte said.
"More than just a campaign, it has evolved into a partnership among agencies. More importantly, it has demonstrated a shared commitment between the government and the public to ensure better roads and to strengthen the mechanisms of public accountability," she added
