Capitol to seek bidders anew for Cordova project

After terminating a contractor’s services for their delays, the Capitol is looking at hiring a contractor who can bring in filling materials by barge for the P80-million Cordova reclamation project.

Acting Provincial Attorney Marino Martinquilla said the ability to transport filling materials by sea may be set as a condition for those interested to bid for the project.

The Capitol will prepare notices for public bidding after the Holy Week.

Yesterday, Martinquilla also wrote to the Philippine Reclamation Authority in Manila to repeat the Capitol’s stand to continue on with the project.

The services of E. Caneda Construction’s were terminated after the firm could not commit to meet the 120-day target deadline of the project.

Work on the reclamation project, which is the subject of a graft complaint by environmental activists and some Cordova fishermen, has temporarily stopped.

Acting Provincial Engineer Adolfo Quiroga said the private firm was able to finish 21 percent before it halted after suffering delays in the delivery of filling materials due to the truck ban in Mandaue City.

Mandaue City is the only accessible path toward Cordova by land.

“We already stopped the work last month … it was a mutual termination,” Quiroga said.

Last February 7, PRA asked the Capitol to “refrain” from undertaking further reclamation work without prior consultation/coordination” with the agency.

The Capitol was also ordered to “coordinate” with the PRA on all reclamation projects “including those being processed and acted upon by the Cebu Provincial Reclamation Authority.”

A cease and desist order was issued by the PRA on Feb. 28 against the contractor.

The Capitol insists that the Province of Cebu has the authority to undertake its own reclamation projects, without permission from the PRA.

In a reply to PRA general manager Peter Anthony Abaya, Martinquilla cited Section 17 of the Local Government Code.

The reclamation project is a joint project of the Capitol and the Cordova municipal government. About 10 hectares is being developed for a port. But the overall plan is to develop 132 hectares for tourism and commercial development, including a 120-hectare “mini-Boracay’ artificial beach.

Ecology and fisherfolk groups opposed the project on the grounds that it poses hazards to the ecosystem in the area.