BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan expressed disappointments over the seemingly failure of most public works contractors implementing several projects in the different parts of the city, particularly the central business district area, this month.
The local chief executive cited based on observations vis-à-vis the commitments of the contractors, it is unlikely that most of the projects will be completed because of their continuous defiance to repeated requests from motorists for them to work round-the-clock in order to lessen the inconvenience to the public.
“We just keep our fingers crossed and just wait for the time to pass by and see whether or not the pending projects will be committed pursuant to their commitments,” Domogan stressed.
He expressed his gratitude to Engr. Alexander C. Castañeda, district engineer of the Baguio City District Engineering Office (BCDEO) and his staff for patiently bringing to the attention of the concerned contractors the plight of the public which is partly being addressed by the contractors.
Earlier, most of the contractors committed to members of the city council that their projects within the central business district area will be completed by this month if the weather will be continue to be good.
However, Domogan argued that the implementation of projects does not solely rely on the weather condition but it also includes the financial and technical capacities of the contractors coupled with their willingness to work round-the-clock in order to significantly lessen the inconvenience of the motoring and commuting public.
He encouraged the BCDEO to be stricter In awarding future infrastructure projects to the contractors so that those with financial and technical capabilities and not those leasing or borrowing their units of equipment will be the ones that will implement projects within the central business district area to prevent the occurrence of monstrous traffic jams that result to inconvenience among the public.
Further, DPWH officials must also make sure that if contractors will be given more than one project, it must be established that the contractor has enough number of units of equipment and personnel to simultaneously implement the works so as not to compromise the convenience of the motoring and commuting public.
It has been observed that some projects of contractors who were able to be awarded more than one project that some of their projects were sacrificed because the supposed winning contractor does not have enough units of equipment and personnel to independently implement the contracts that was bidded out.
Reliable sources disclosed the reason why most public works implementors are hard headed because they were able to allegedly share their profit to the foundation and the office of a city official in the guise of implementing corporate social responsibility projects, thus, the said official can longer discipline erring contractors for fear that they will be the ones who will expose the too much corruption in the public works industry.
The source added that frequent meetings are being organized by the city official just to remind the contractors of their unsettled obligations to his foundation and his office.
By Dexter A. See
