By Leilanie G. Adriano
Staff reporter
BANGUI, Ilocos Norte—The
local chief executive here has assailed a multi-million slope protection
project being implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways
Regional Office for its alleged defective stone masonry works and use of
substandard cement mixtures.
According to Bangui mayor
Fidel Cimatu, the slope protection project located along the zigzag road of a
national highway at Brgy. Baruyen is just four months old but it has already
started to deteriorate.
Based on inspection initiated
by the Municipal Engineering Office, Engr. Albert Balualua attested the eroded
portion of the slope protection project of the DPWH have no footing foundation
which means the boulders are not intact and they have noticed poor cement
mixture.
“Because of this, it is prone
to cracks especially if there is an earthquake,” said Mr. Balualua backing the
mayor’s claim that said project was substandard.
To date, the project
contractor is conducting restoration on the eroded portion of the project but
according to Mr. Cimatu, “it is just a make-up.”
In view of this, the
Sangguniang Panlalawigan conducted a public hearing on October 12, inviting
concerned DPWH personnel from the district and regional offices to explain the
procedure and the specific roles of the implementing agency.
According to SP member Da
Vinci M. Crisostomo, the objective of the hearing is to come up with an
ordinance to strengthen the participation of the local government units or end
users of any project within their respective jurisdiction, regardless of who is
implementing it.
Due to lack of personnel
tasked to monitor a lot of on-going regional projects of the DPWH, Engr.
Angelito Dian of the DPWH regional office admitted this could probably be the
reason why some of the defects of the projects are not closely monitored.
“If they [contractors] do it
right, there should be no problem,” said Engr. Nestor Pasion of the DPWH Ilocos
Norte first engineering district.
The DPWH earlier warned
contractors with defective projects due to the use of inferior or substandard
materials will no longer be eligible to participate in future bidding of
projects.
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