It’s not just Mahiga Creek settlers who had to worry about the onset of the rainy season. Residents of sitio Lokana, barangay Kalunasan also fear their riverbank riprap project will collapse due to the failure of the contractor to make repairs.
E.M. Arante Construction completed the riprap along with a road concreting project in barangay Kalunasan with less than desired results, though they’re not totally at fault.
The riprap project’s specifications was slightly adjusted by the former barangay captain with the excuse that using gabions instead of steel wire braces would result in savings. The calculations proved not only wrong but costly since the riprap is nearing collapse after a few heavy downpours.
Until now the contractor has yet to start the repairs but already the city’s Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW) has recommended an P8 million payment for the company after completion of its repairs in other projects in the city’s hinterland barangays.
But Cebu City South District Rep. Tomas Osmeña is threatening to sue the company if it receives the P8-million payment without completing repairs of other projects like the riprap and road concreting projects in barangay Kalunasan.
The former mayor has good reason to do so. It was during his watch as Cebu City’s chief executive that E.M. Arante cornered the bulk of the P180 million projects based on the say-so of his former political lieutenant, the former councilor Eugenio Faelnar. Osmeña later had a falling out with Faelnar after discovering, from feedback of local residents, that these projects turned out to be substandard.
The argument against payment of the P8 million to E.M. Arante Construction gains more ground with the fact that the collapse of the riprap project and the resulting floods that will hit sitio Lokana residents will make it appear that the city is rewarding half-baked, half-finished jobs to contractors.
One doesn’t also take into consideration other contractors like the Zamboanga del Sur-based construction company that still had to complete repairs on school buildings in barangay Toong, forcing school officials to order that classes be held outside rather than risk students being caught under a collapsed floor.
The investigation committee tasked to look into E.M. Arante Construction’s shortcomings had yet to submit its report to Mayor Michael Rama despite the completion of findings from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on the projects.
What the city government needs to do is crack the whip on E.M. Arante.
Demand that they complete all repairs and back jobs on their projects or kiss the P8-million payment goodbye.