BAGUIO CITY – Local residents are up in arms against the alleged substandard quality of numerous infrastructure projects implemented by government agencies and the local government because the mode of prosecution by the supposed winning contractors is questionable.
The concern was raised by the motoring and commuting public after observing that the contractors implementing multi-million projects are not actually so equipped and do not have the technical and financial capability to implement the projects according to set standard.
The concerned residents questioned the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the local government for allowing public works contractors to continuously use job mix in their respective project sites amidst the existence of Administrative Order No. 116, series of 2013 issued by Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan that prohibited contractors from using job mix for the aggregates of their projects.
According to the observers, the irresponsible contractors contribute to the worsening traffic congestions and the deteriorating air quality of the city because they even go to the extent of occupying portions of busy roads to mix their aggregates and that the dust particles produce contribute to pollution in the city’s air.
The pro-environment advocates believe the DPWH and the concerned offices of the local government must strictly implement the provisions of AO No. 116, series of 2013 to prevent contractors from committing errors in the mixture of their aggregates that will result in sub-standard quality products.
The local residents challenged the COA to facilitate the conduct of coring tests in all completed national and local infrastructure projects to ascertain if they measure up to standards imposed for the projects and for the concerned materials engineers and members of the quality assurance units to check on whether or not contractors comply with the prescribed construction standards.
However, it was recommended that the samples to be taken from the projects must be duly signed by concerned inspectors to avoid the switching of samples which is the common practice of contractors to be able to make it appear that their projects are within standards, when in fact, there are obvious defects in their completed works.
The local residents expressed their concern why newly implemented projects, particularly the concrete pavements, suffer from unnecessary cracks and scouring several months after completion. They point out that most projects implemented more than two decades ago are still not affected by the various weather disturbances.
They point out the current batch of contractors have obviously been cheating the government by failing to adhere to existing standards in project implementation, thus, the need for COA to intervene to protect the interest of the people and to penalize erring contractors.
By HENT
