Bontoc officials probe of P54 M water project, reprogram

By Gina Dizon 

BONTOC, Mt. Province –The long delayed completion of the P53.7 million Bontoc water project urged officials here to ask for the  investigation of said  water project  then initiated in 2005 and the reprogramming of the remaining funds to be implemented by the Bontoc LGU.

Expected to be finished by 2008, said waterworks project was bidded  and awarded to Manila-based contractor Aquaterra Konstruct Inc. in January 2005.

With the  unreasonable delay of the water project, a resolution for the investigation  of said project was forwarded by the Municipal Council of Bontoc to Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson asking for the investigation of phases 1, 5 and 6 of the water system project then implemented by the DPWH-Mountain Province Engineering Office.

Earlier, a letter of Mayor Franklin Odsey on December 2013 informed  the Sangguniang Bayan  of the situation of the water project.

The P53.7 million water project was divided into six phases with phase 2, 3, and 4 100 percent completed with corresponding funds already collected and implemented. Phase 1 is 75 percent complete, phase 5 is 66.88 percent and phase 6, only 11.18% complete.

Odsey said the requested remaining P11 million will be used to complete the project with water sourced from Talubin after the targeted sources at Mainit and Bayyo were opposed by residents.

Installed pipes are reportedly missing.

With the approval of the LGU request, Odsey said the complete project phases will be re-evaluated before works begin.

Meantime, the LGU is currently changing worn-out and old plastic pipes installed in the 70s with GI pipes along the 18 kilometer stretch from the source in Talubin to Poblacion, Bontoc.

Funds were sourced from regular local funds of the Bontoc LGU with additional 60 pipes sourced from the office of Provincial Governor Leonard Mayaen.

Additional pipes were sourced from a part of the calamity funds to respond to the lack of water to reach water needy Poblacion, Bontoc.

A state of calamity was earlier declared by the Sangguniang Bayan in response to the lack of water in the central part of the capital town.