TMC orders CCTO to deny permit applications of contractor of ‘unfinished’ P115-million pipe-laying project

Here is the current situation of the excavation works of JFAP Construction at Wilson Street in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023.| Contributed photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — A private construction company is now in a pickle after the Cebu City Traffic Management Coordination (TMC) Board ordered the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) to deny the issuance of permits to the company over its alleged failure to complete a multi-million pipe-laying project in Barangay Busay, Cebu City.

In a resolution approved on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023, the TMC Board, through its chairman lawyer Rey Francis “Koko” Holganza, directed the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) not to grant any permits for road closure to the JFAP Construction, the private firm behind the P115 million pipe-laying project in Busay.

The pipe-laying project, commissioned by the Metropolitan Cebu Water District, was awarded to JFAP Construction in November 2021, with a target completion date of November 2022. However, the project remains unfinished today.

The project, with a supposed one-year duration, starts from Busay to the intersection of Salinas Drive and Nivel Road in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City.

The TMC Board also took offense at the private firm for its failure to fully restore its excavated Nivel Road, despite being previously requested to do so.

CDN Digital has sent messages to the construction company, but these have remained unanswered as of this writing.

“After observing that the work along the already excavated site was either temporarily abandoned or being undertaken only by a handful, JFAP Construction was invited to attend meetings of the TMC where their project engineers have either guaranteed the restoration of work…and that the company would submit documents to the TMC on how the company would implement the excavation of public streets on the Barangay Lahug area to enable the TMC/CCTO advance notice on how to manage traffic in the area,” reads a portion of the TMC Board resolution.

Even until Tuesday, Jan. 31, JFAP Construction allegedly failed to fully restore the excavated Nivel Road and failed to submit its promised documents to the TMC after more than two months after it guaranteed the TMC.

‘We hope project proponents will get more responsible and socially conscious companies as contractors for these developmental projects. Dili lang unta puro ginansya ang hunahunaon apilon pud unta ang ila pud responsibility sa mga tawo na mogamit sa dalan na ila gi excavate’

Holganza, in a text message to CDN Digital, also said MCWD engineers informed them that the project already incurred a negative slippage.

“Grabe na ang delay. We were informed in a recent meeting that despite JFAP’s failure to comply with their commitment to fully restore by December 2022 what they have excavated months before, JFAP or its subcontractor is now starting to do more excavations” he told CDN Digital.

“We in the traffic board are supportive of any development project that will benefit the Cebuanos. However, we hope project proponents will get more responsible and socially conscious companies as contractors for these developmental projects. Dili lang unta puro ginansya ang hunahunaon apilon pud unta ang ila pud responsibility sa mga tawo na mogamit sa dalan na ila gi excavate. Frustrating,” he added.

The board said these failures committed by the company are also in violation of the requirements of the city ordinances numbers 1618 and 2218.  WITH JESSA NGOJO

/bmjo

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