BAGUIO FOISTS SUIT VS DPWH FOR SUBSTANDARD PROJECTS

June 11, 2022 Headlines

BAGUIO CITY – Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong promised the LGU is suing the DPWH Baguio Engineering District over sub-standard projects implemented in the city.
“These are a lot of waste of government funds,” the mayor fumed after seeing for himself various public works projects, especially road improvement work around the city.
Magalong believed “it will be a test case” while also irate about the inaction of the national leadership of the public works department on earlier formal complaints by the city government on below-par public works qualities of projects here.
Magalong though did not mention which among the projects in the city were observed as sub-standard, but he stressed, “there is a number”.
The practice of the DPWH of being dictated by private contractors must stop, the city mayor stressed. This while issuing a fresh call on project contractors to level up the standard of their work for their outputs to be beneficial to the public.
The mayor during an inspection midweek thumbed down the sidewalk project along Bonifacio St. due to poor workmanship.
“The tactile pavement is uneven while the PWD ramp is not within the standard. They have to redo it because I will not accept the project under these conditions,” Magalong said.
The project is under the auspices of the Baguio City District Engineering Office. While inspecting the whole stretch, the mayor called attention to the trash deposits on some sections and on a dilapidated post that pose danger to passersby. Both had been referred to the concerned agencies.
Since institutionalizing project monitoring and inspection before payment issuance, the city though noted a vast improvement in the quality of infrastructure projects funded by the city government over the years.
For city roads and other projects funded by the DPWH, the city is also part of the final inspection, therefore, has a say in the assessment of the outcome.
The mayor earlier said he intends to conduct more inspections of projects all over the city to help ensure quality implementation of these infrastructures as part of the city’s thrust to foster integrity in project implementation to achieve quality and beneficial outputs for the end-users.
Artemio A. Dumlao/ABN