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By Sarwell Meniano
Philippine News Agency
PALO, Leyte — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) regional office here has terminated four roads and bridges projects in Eastern Visayas due to the contractors’ failure to complete the work within the timetable.
These projects are the PHP150.39 million paving of San Antonio Circumferential Road in Northern Samar; PHP89.72 million widening of a San Joaquin Bridge in Palo, Leyte; PHP140.09 million widening of Naval-Caibiran cross-country road in Biliran; and the PHP183.74 million storm surge protection project in Palo, Leyte.
DPWH Eastern Visayas construction division chief Sandy Pua said on Thursday both the bridge widening and storm surge protection projects in Palo, Leyte were funded in 2016 and supposed to be up for completion within two years.
Last year, both projects were not substantially complete, prompting the DPWH regional termination review committee to recommend the termination of the contracts.
The cross-country road project in Biliran and the circumferential road in Northern Samar programmed in 2018 were also stopped after noting these projects were not even 10 percent done after a year.
“We decided to terminate these projects since these were delayed due to the fault of contractors. These will not be realized if we would not terminate these contracts,” Pua told the Philippine News Agency (PNA).
The DPWH regional office declined to name the contractors of these projects. Their recommendation to terminate dated January 14, 2020 is still subject to the final approval of the main office.
Erring contractors are still allowed to appeal the order at the central office.
“If the termination is final, the project will go through the rebidding process. There will be an adjustment of funding requirements due to change of prices of construction materials,” Pua added.
The official said this is the first batch of contracts in Eastern Visayas that have been stopped following President Rodrigo Duterte’s order last year to fast-track the construction of projects.
Under the government’s procurement rules, a project is terminated if the contractor abandons the contract works, refuses or fails to comply with a valid instruction of the government agency or fails to proceed expeditiously and without delay despite a written notice by implementing agency.
Another ground is the lack of minimum essential equipment necessary to implement the works in accordance with the approved work plan and equipment deployment schedule as required for the project. (PNA)
