Kontrata

HAPPY WEEKEND
Gina Dizon

It comes as a pleasant surprise that the Department of Public Works and Highways published defective projects warning contractors they rectify their work otherwise face sanctions imposed by the department.

It was some years back when Volunteers Against Corruption spokesperson Jupiter Dominguez called on the DPWH to investigate defective projects of the State of the Nation Address (SONA) projects along Halsema Highway.

This time, a project inspection and evaluation by a unit composed of engineers from DPWH Bureau of Research and Standards, Bureau of Construction and the regional DPWH office conducted quality test on six projects implemented.

Defects were noted in the Dantay-Sagada National Road upgrading contracted by BMK/ ET Latawan Constructions , rehabilitation of Mt. Province-Ilocos Sur Road via Kayan and Bontoc-Cadre Road and Baguio-Bontoc Road, construction of Bayudan flood control and PC-Barracks Road under LAB General Engineering.

Replacement of defective construction shall be done at the expense of the contractor and such expense will be taken from the same contract. The DPWH seemingly is getting serious on changing its notorious image as one of most corrupt government agencies.

Seemingly, more concrete manifestation is to be taken note of including expelling a notorious contractor from taking part again in government projects. Such realization also needs an alert and vigilant public to take note of defective projects implemented right in their own communities.

Mountain Province Facebook account holder John Leyao notes that monitoring should be done closely by DPWH and give directives and not only after the project is done. This way, the project shall be corrected immediately and not after the project is done already.

Perhaps more members shall join Juniper Dominguez in calling the DPWH and contractors to practice quality work in accordance with project specifications and do away with “komisyon.”

A year before the next political elections in 2013 shall see more construction of infrastructure projects to include the P211 million for road facelifting in Baguio City; P28.8 million concreting of Dantay SagadaRoad, P20 million and more from the PDAF of Mountain Province Rep. MaximoDalog and more other projects from PDAF of other congressmen.

Not to be outdone is a P36 million water works project of the Local Government Unit of Sagada headed by Mayor Eduardo Latawan with P18 million sourced from Sen. TeofistoGuingona 111 and another P18 million from the Cordillera Highland Agricultural Resource Management Project (CHARMP)11.

By the way, here’s another comment from a concerned citizen which reached the writer, regarding constructions on the Otukan, Bauko road sections: “Japanese engineers found that diverting the flow of the Bayudan River will definitely stop the sinking of barangay Otukan. The DPWH should first survey, program and fund construction of a river control first before wasting government money on the Otukan road sections.”

Perhaps the DPWH will take heed of this comment.