CEBU, Philippines — Contractor SBD Builders will spend P3.8 million from its own funds to repair the damage to the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) rubberized track oval, even as it maintained that its current state was due to cultural events held there and not because of poor work quality.
This came following a City Council executive session yesterday morning called to discuss the issue about the rubberized track.
Shaun Doherty, SBD Builders president, showed up during the session to answer questions on the status of the oval, which SBD renovated during the first half of the year for P52 million.
Doherty told the City Council that of the P52 million, they already received P29 million, excluding tax, or 60 percent of the contract amount.
“Gitrabaho namo pirmiro ang project una mi naka-bill og 60 percent, based sa work accomplished namo at that time, which is 60 something percent. Gipa-bill ra mi nila og 60 (percent),” he said.
Doherty further denied allegations that the track oval civil works are being “subcontracted,” adding that their company personally did the works.
He explained that when the directive to repair the track oval was given following the order of Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia, they had to wait for three weeks for the materials to arrive from outside the country. He said they were supposed to mobilize these materials last Oct. 23, but could not because of the bad weather.
That is why, he said, they asked for a week-long extension, including the holidays, especially since most of his workers filed for vacation leaves. He said the mayor approved of this and gave them until the first week of November to start the repairs.
Doherty also said that they have to repair 600 square meters of and not the whole track oval, as there are portions that are still in good condition.
“Kay kana laging sports center nato himoon og cultural center, madaot gyud sya, kay rubber ra baya na. Dili man na pwede paagian og mga heavy equipment or mga anything nga mga bug-at ba,” said Doherty.
He said they are spending their own funds for the repairs because of the pressure to fix it already.
“And we also wanted to do service to the City. We want to see that the City is happy with our work since you guys are our clients and the Cebuanos are the end users. We also just want to forget it nalang, cut the loss, let’s just fix it for the City Hall,” Doherty said.
Previously, Doherty had clarified that the materials used to rubberize the track oval were not substandard. He attributed the damage to the cultural events being held at the CCSC when the surface was affected during the transportation of materials used to build a makeshift stage.
“We have photos, we have videos,” he said.
He said this was reaffirmed when they applied for an insurance claim for the damages to the track oval because they got denie due to “negligence”.
This, Doherty said, is backed with evidence.
“Ang nahitabo man gud ani, nadaot sya tungod sa other nga mga events nga na-held ba sa atoang sports complex,” he said
That is why SBD made it clear to the mayor that it would no longer repair whatever damage the oval would suffer once the repairs that it is going to do starting on the first week of November is done, as this would already be “unfair” to it.
Doherty argued that the track oval is only compatible with sporting events and not with cultural events.
Also, he assured that the repairs they would do would only take them at least two weeks, but depending on the weather conditions.
As to their experience in doing the work, he said they already did repairs to a track oval in Luzon and one in a private institution.
City Councilor Joy Augustus Young, who spearheaded the construction of the track oval in 1994, however, insisted that there is a problem with the installation of the rubber itself when SBD did the work last June to July.
He agreed, though, that the surface of the track oval would be compromised if cultural events were held at the CCSC. Young suggested that the rehabilitation should be done right after the Sinulog 2025 saying that the curing of the rubber takes time.
Doherty clarified that they weren’t able to obtain a certificate of completion (COC) when the track oval was opened because the ciity was in “dire need” to use the facility already for the hosting of the Palarong Pambansa last July.
“I took the risk. I trusted the City Government to do the right thing after the Palarong Pambansa nga mo-sign sila’g COC para maka-proceed sad mig trabaho,” he said.
The executive session ended with the City Council members agreeing to hold another one, this time with somebody from the City’s Department of Engineering and Public Works as the resource person.— /RHM (FREEMAN)