City Hall seeks emergency procurement for long-delayed Pulangbato Bridge

A 3D concept model of the future Pulangbato Bridge, presented by the Department of Engineering and Public Works, showcases its proposed design ahead of construction during the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) session on Thursday, April 24.

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Over a decade since it was first requested, and years after typhoons rendered the route dangerous, the Cebu City Government is now seeking emergency procurement powers to finally restart the long-delayed construction of a vital bridge in Barangay Pulangbato.

This comes as the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) on Thursday, April 24, passed a resolution asking the city council to authorize the use of emergency procurement for the ₱24-million project, which has stalled due to the failure of the original contractor and election-related restrictions on public spending.

Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia, in an interview after the session, said the bridge had been requested by the barangay as early as 2013, but it had suffered multiple setbacks, the most recent being the poor performance of its contractor, SBD Builders.

“This was requested by the barangay as early as 2013. The project was supposed to start last year, but the contractor was unable to deliver. We had no choice but to cancel and terminate the contract,” Garcia said in Cebuano.

The bridge, which connects Sitio Candarong to Tanay Road, was severely damaged by Typhoon Odette in 2021 and further compromised by Tropical Depression Agaton in 2022. Today, it remains unfinished, with only 36.02 percent of the work completed, despite a 60-day extension granted to SBD Builders.

The incomplete span has forced residents to rely on dangerous, makeshift crossings over the Butuanon River. Garcia warned that while the dry season currently allows passage, the situation could quickly become life-threatening once the rains begin.

“Right now, it’s dry season, so they can still pass. But once the rains come and the river swells, it becomes impassable and extremely dangerous,” he said.

In November 2024, the Cebu City Council approved a resolution declaring a state of emergency in Barangay Pulangbato, in response to the barangay council’s request. However, the procurement process was stalled due to the time needed to formally terminate the contract with SBD Builders.

Earlier this year, Garcia confirmed that a notice of termination had been issued to the contractor, giving them seven days to explain their delays. While the city will still pay for the completed portion of the project, subject to a joint inspection, Garcia has not yet decided whether to recommend SBD Builders for blacklisting, pending evaluation by the Bids and Awards Committee.

SBD Builders is also the contractor behind the delayed rubberized track oval project at the Cebu City Sports Center, which has similarly faced scrutiny over missed deadlines. Garcia said a third-party contractor has been tapped to assess the oval’s quality before the city releases payment.

In the Pulangbato case, city officials, including Majority Floor Leader Jocelyn Pesquera and Minority Floor Leader Nestor Archival, flagged multiple irregularities in the bridge project’s planning and execution. Archival said disciplinary action may be necessary against those involved in the flawed implementation.

Garcia said the city is now moving to reprocure the project through an emergency method, but added that the awarding of the contract may still be delayed by the ongoing election ban unless the city council grants an exemption.

“We need a disaster council resolution to request the city council to approve the procurement via the emergency process. Hopefully, this will be approved by next Wednesday so we can start,” he said. “But since this was not included in the exemption list for the election ban, the awarding might only happen after the elections — hopefully by next month.”

Barangay Pulangbato Captain John Barry Miñoza also appealed to the city council not to delay the process any further, stressing the urgency of completing the bridge before the rainy season.

“I am appealing to the city council not to delay this any further. We’ve waited long enough. Once the rains begin, it’s going to be very difficult, especially since we’re dealing with the Butuanon River,” Miñoza said in Cebuano.

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