LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The district engineer of the Department of Public Works and Highways–First Benguet District Engineering office (DPWH-FBDEO) ordered contractors of unfinished school building projects in his area of jurisdiction to commit to the completion of their projects for structures to be available for use by the project beneficiaries.
DPWH-FBDEO district engineer Ireneo S. Gallato started meeting with the contractors of school building projects since January to solicit their commitments on how to address urgently the issues and concerns on their alleged inability to complete the structures within the prescribed contract duration.
He directed the contractors of school building projects to formally reply or explain why their contracts should not be terminated and provide the agency with catch up plans and schedules so that project engineers can monitor the progress and accomplishments of the projects as well as make a report to the management.
“We advised contractors they should make extra efforts by providing additional workers with shifting schedules, work overtime and make all needed materials available on site. Our contractors should be responsible enough to avoid incurring defects or deficiencies and negative slippages, as well as for them to fastrack accomplishments to make up for the reported slippages,” Gallato stressed.
The district engineer also called on the contractors to analyse and review the expiration of their contracts and solve problems soonest on their projects to avoid the imposition of the negative slippages and liquidated damages against them once they refuse to comply with agreements made during the series of meetings way back January this year.
According to him, the district office preferred to dialogue with the licensed contractors awarded the school building projects since they know their obligations and responsibilities as contractors and to avoid misunderstanding when problems arise on their awarded projects.
Gallato underscored that as much as possible, the district office will not entertain sub-contractors representing the licensed contractors during upcoming consultations since it will be the owner of the license who will be imposed the liquidated damages due to the reported and unresolved slippages of their projects.
He asserted that all unfinished school building projects within the areas of jurisdiction of the district office should be completed before the start of classes for schoolyear 2019-2020 for students to use the said buildings for their regular classes and to help in decongesting their existing classrooms. On March 22, 2019, Assistant Secretary Antonio B. Molano, Jr., Chairperson of the DPWH technical working group for building project implementation, directed concerned district and regional offices to review the data on unfinished school building projects and recommend concrete measures to help facilitate the completion of the projects within a reasonable time. By HENT