DPWH stops 3 noncompleted projects in Region 8

TACLOBAN CITY—More than P563 million worth of infrastructure projects in three provinces in Eastern Visayas were terminated by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for failure of the contractors to finish them on time.

These projects include the P184 storm surge protection project and the P89 million widening of San Joaquin Bridge, both in Palo, Leyte; the P140-million widening of a cross-country road in Caibiran-Biliran towns in Biliran province; and the P150.39-million San Antonio circumferential road in Northern Samar.

These major projects were stopped due to the noncompletion of the contractors as stipulated on the contracts, said Sandy Pua, DPWH-8 chief of the construction division.

President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the DPWH to run after contractors who failed to complete the projects on time. The projects in Palo started in 2016 and were targeted for completion in two years.

The two other projects started in 2018 but were barely 10 percent complete. Under government’s procurement rules, a contract is terminated if the contractor abandons the contract works, refuses or fails to comply with a valid instruction, or fails to proceed expeditiously and without delay despite a written notice by the implementing agency.

The contractors could still appeal the decision of the DPWH-8 at their central office in Manila. —Joey Gabieta