Makati Science High School P1B overpriced?

MANILA, Philippines - The Makati City government's initial cost estimate for the P1.3-billion Makati Science High School building was only P348.6 million, Commission on Audit chairperson Grace Pulido Tan said on Tuesday.

Testifying before the Senate Blue Ribbon Sub-Committee, Tan said that based on their records, the Makati government was only planning to spend P348.6 million for a 10-storey high school building with a four-storey dormitory.

The figure is based on the estimate approved by the city mayor, Tan said.

The COA chief pointed out that the Makati government used the initial cost estimate as basis for the procurement of design services for the project.

She wondered why the Makati government spent P1.3 billion when it only originally planned to construct a school building with a much lower estimated cost.

"Paano naging P1.3 (billion) itong proyektong ito na samantalang noong umpisa, what they had in mind and what they wanted to build, I mean the agency itself which is Makati, was only going to be worth P348.6 million?" she asked.

Tan said the original cost estimate had been reached when the first three phases of the project were completed. The construction had six phases.

"I would like to say that ito po yung mga tinatawag naming red flags, just like in the case of the parking building," Tan said.

"These are already the things that catch our attention and compel us to really look into this matter," she added.

Tan clarified that she is not concluding that the school building is overpriced.

"All I'm saying is that so far, with the records that we have on file, ay may mga matitinding rason kung bakit talagang kailangan naming balikan ito," she said.

During the Senate hearing, Architect Danilo Alano of the Philippine Institute of Architects said the school building should only cost between P536 million and P644 million.

Meanwhile, property appraiser Federico Cuervo of the Cuervo Valuers and Advisory Inc. estimated the building cost at P489 million.

Cuervo also pointed out the defective designs of the school building, such as the lack of ventilation and stairs with step height not suited for school children.

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, who led an ocular inspection of the school building over the weekend, was impressed with most of the building's facilities.

He pointed out, however, that the ninth and 10th floors of the building were not yet completed despite the local government's issuance of a "certificate of completion."

Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin "Junjun" Binay was one of the signatories of the document, according to Trillanes.