BANGUED, Abra August 12 – The Cordillera office of the Department of Public works and Highways (DPWH-CAR) ruled that the agency did not approve the final billing of various contractors who were found to have implemented defective infrastructure projects provincewide until such time that they were able to correct the pinpointed defects in their awarded works.
Engr. Edilberto P. Carabbacan, DPWH-CAR regional director, disclosed the decision not to make final payments on various multi-million projects along the Abra-Kalinga road, Abra-Ilocos Norte road, Abra-Ilocos Sur road, Abra-Mountain Province road among others was achieved following recent findings by different local, regional and national inspectorate teams that there were some blatant defects on the works of the several contractors who were awarded projects along the roadlines.
“Our inspection teams must make sure that the recommended corrective measures have been properly undertaken by the concerned contractors before recommending the payment of their respective final billings. We have heard numerous negative reports on how some contractors in the province have hastily implemented their works that is why the same had been subjected to validation by independent inspectorate teams from the agency,” Carabbacan stressed.
Abra has been one of the beneficiaries of the multi-million infrastructure projects identified by the DPWH, especially along national roads and secondary national arterial roads, pursuant to the aspiration of the Aquino administration to have all national roads paved and around 80 percent of secondary roads rehabilitated by the time President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino steps down from power by the middle of next year.
Carabbacan assured various sectors in the province that the agency is still open to more complaints about the defects in the different infrastructure projects being implemented but those complaining must submit the specific place and station where such defects are noticeable for their proper guidance.
According to him, contractors must ensure that their awarded works should be done in accordance to plans and specifications that would avoid the imposition of unnecessary penalties against them, particularly the removal and replacement of defective works at their own expense or the imposition of liquidated damages per day for delay in the completion of their projects.
The DPWH-CAR official reminded contractors that the quality of works reflect their true performance in the construction industry that is why if they want to be recognized as credible project implementors, then they must work pursuant to project specifications and standards and not to succumb to political pressure that might compromise the status of their license.
He said the agency will continue to validate numerous reports on the alleged substandard implementation of a number of public works projects in order to make sure that contractors comply with project plans and specifications to avoid unnecessary delays because inspectorate teams from the central office are now going around independently monitoring the compliance of district and regional offices to their commitments to complete all remaining works before the end of this year.
He appealed to critics not to immediately despise them for not acting on their concerns because the same must have to undergo a process of validation in order to ascertain veracity of reports before making concrete actions and come out with solutions.
