Probe of defective projects in Mt Province finished

BY DEXTER A SEE

BONTOC, Mountain province – The fact-finding and monitoring teams dispatched by Malacanang and the Department of Public Works and Highways have completed their week-long mission to check on reported anomalies in the implementation of multi-million flagship projects here of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Personnel from the Presidential Management Staff and the DPWH’s Bureau of Construction conducted various activities assigned to them by higher authorities to validate complaints on widespread anomalies in the implementation of projects along the phases II and III of the Halsema highway rehabilitation project and the improvement of the Bontoc-Tabuk-Tuguegarao road.

Among the vital activities of the team members include the coring test where random samples of concrete mix were taken for testing of compressive strength as well as the inspection of installed guardrails installed along critical sections of the roads.

The teams also documented on-going and completed works especially on the thickness and quality of the pavement for their references.

However, both teams refused to give their comments on their findings, saying that they will consolidate all the information and evidences they have gathered so that they could come out with a comprehensive report on the status of the flagship projects of the President in the region.

The activities done by the teams were witnessed by some of the complainants and technical personnel of the implementing agency and construction industry stakeholders here.

Engineer Mariano Alquisa, DPWH-CAR regional director, said that they are open for the conduct of investigations on purported anomalies in the implementation of the projects but not to the extent of using such complaints to harass them due to mere political affiliations.

It was learned that instead of concentrating in overseeing the implementation of the numerous projects, DPWH technical personnel and other construction industry stakeholders are now busy spending their time preparing documents and entertaining investigation teams just to address the unfounded, baseless and fabricated complaints being lodged by disgruntled individuals to various agencies.

Alquisa said there is nothing wrong with the reported defects and negative slippages in some of the packages because they can be corrected in the course of the completion of work.

He said a number of factors contribute to the defects in the implementation of projects, particularly road-right-of-way and unpredictable weather condition, but these could be addressed before the completion of works.

The DPWH official asserted that they are doing all means within their powers to ensure the quality implementation of the President’s priority projects so that beneficiaries will enjoy their fruits once completed.