Resource center project site backfilling almost complete but contractor still not off the hook

The excavated portion of the Cebu Provincial Capitol grounds where the scrapped P1.3-billion resource center was supposed to be built is almost completely backfilled as of Monday, October 7, 2019. |CDN Digital Photo/Rosalie Abatayo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The excavated project site of the scrapped P1.3 billion Provincial Resource Center project is almost completely backfilled, but WT Construction Inc. is still not off the hook yet.

Governor Gwendolyn Garcia said the equipment of WTCI shall remain at the project site because the company should still be held accountable for the “gargantuan holes” produced by their development work supposedly for the foundation of the 20-story building.

WTCI was the contractor of the project which Garcia ordered to be permanently stopped upon her assumption in office last July 1.

In an interview on Monday, October 7, Garcia once again lashed at the firm for neglecting the Capitol’s previous notices and demand to backfill the project site.

Garcia, in July, gave WTCI a 48-hour ultimatum to backfill the project site but the latter did not respond.

Read more: Gwen to WTCI: Restore excavated Capitol lot in 48 hours or be blacklisted

“He never considered it worthy to answer our letters,” Garcia said.

Read more: WTCI ignores Gwen’s 48-hour ultimatum

A group of private haulers in the Visayas, instead, volunteered to undertake the backfilling of the several meters-deep excavated project site since August 15. At present, only almost a quarter of the site needs to be backfilled.

Read more: Private hauler starts backfilling excavation site of scrapped 20-story Capitol resource center

“We already informed them (WTCI) nga i-irog na ang ilang mga equipment kay aron mahuman na na og backfill, or else tabonan na’g apil para molig-on ang compaction. But they cannot take it out. Dako kaayo na silag tulobagon,” said Garcia.

(We already informed them to move their equipment so we can continue with the backfilling or else we will just bury it. But they cannot take it out. They have so much liability over it. )

According to Garcia, WTCI has asked a number of officials in the Capitol in order to speak with her.

But Garcia said the Capitol’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) would still continue with the process to blacklist WTCI from undertaking any future projects of the province.

Meanwhile, Garcia said once the truckers would complete the backfilling of the project site, it would be utilized as a pay parking space./dbs