Northern Samar mayor urges DPWH-8 to finish the school building

SAN ISIDRO, NORTHERN SAMAR, Philippines —Mayor Ferdinand Avila had asked the Department of Public Works and Highways Northern Samar First Engineering District (DPWH-NS Ist DEO) to finish the construction of the building of Alegria National High School (ANHS).

Avila said the construction of the two-story eight-classroom school building was started on April 8 last year and was supposed to be finished within 150 calendar days, with the DPWH-NS 1st DEO as the implementing agency.

As of this time though, seen on the site are only scaffoldings, floorings, half and unfinished posts with rusty steel bars, unfinished walls, with tall grasses filling the area, he said.

The construction project has a contract ID of 151HO115 at a contract cost of more than P10.62 million, the fund of which was drawn from the CY 2015 Basic Educational Funds Batch 1 of the Department of Education, said the mayor.

Avila said the preliminary construction of the building, as it is now, should be reviewed and re-examined, voicing his concern over the layout and condition of the posts and floorings of the abandoned project. “The construction appears to be substandar,” as evaluated by the municipal engineer, he added.

District Engineer Mario Soriano, in an interview with reporters, said construction was delayed because the contractor R.C. Tagala Construction has abandoned the project after collecting the 15 percent mobilization fund.

The contractor has gone bankrupt and had filed bankruptcy proceedings, said Soriano, adding that his office is now arranging with other possible new contractor to finish the project. (FREEMAN)