Contractor issued notice of termination

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Government has officially issued a notice of termination against SBD Builders, the contractor of the reinforced deck girder bridge from Sitio Candarong to Tanay Road in Barangay Pulangbato.

This was announced by Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia last Friday. He said the notice of termination will give SBD Builders seven days to explain the delay in the construction of the project. If their explanation is unsatisfactory, Garcia said they will issue the final termination.

Upon this, the process of rebidding will be initiated.

"Ato g’yud ning gipapaspas kay naluoy g’yud ta sa kahimtang sa atong kaigsuonan, not only in Barangay Pulangbato but the entire mountain barangays kay agianan man na sa atong kabukiran sa dakbayan sa Sugbo," said Garcia.

However, Garcia said that despite the termination action, the contractor will still be paid for the work they have started and accomplished. This will be determined through a joint inspection.

Despite the multiple questions regarding the integrity of SBD Builders, Garcia said he has yet to decide if he will recommend blacklisting them from future projects of the city government, adding that he may need to wait for the decision of the Bids and Awards Committee.

"But what is important is we are moving forward," said Garcia.

SBD Builders is also the contractor for the rubberized track oval at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC). For this project, SBD Builders has also faced multiple questions regarding their integrity due to construction delays. According to Garcia, an assessment from an independent third-party contractor is necessary.

Garcia mentioned that he has already signed an authority to hire a third-party contractor to inspect the work done.

"So what we can already do is make a decision on the matter, whether we will pay them or not, because there may still be problems," said Garcia.

But Garcia said that SBD Builders has reaffirmed that this may be their final stretch and that they will no longer repair any damage to the track surface after the Sinulog 2025 celebration at CCSC.

He added that this is to ensure that the work done is properly appraised.

Barangay Pulangbato officials reportedly urged the Cebu City Government to urgently terminate the contract of SBD Builders for the construction of the bridge due to "significant negative slippage."

In a resolution passed by Barangay Pulangbato on October 7, 2024, which was transmitted to the council yesterday, they called for a declaration of a state of emergency in the barangay due to the unfinished project, which has led to unsafe alternative routes.

The resolution read that the project titled “Construction of Reinforced Deck Girder Bridge at Sitio Candarong to Tanay Road, Barangay Pulangbato" was awarded to SBD Builders with a contract amounting to ?24,052,580.78. The original project duration was 240 days, starting on September 15, 2023, with the completion date originally set for May 11, 2024.

According to the barangay officials, despite a time extension of 60 days, which revised the project completion date to September 30, 2024, the current work accomplishment is only 36.02%, resulting in a negative slippage of 63.98% and delays in the project completion.

Due to the delays in completing the bridge, vehicles have been forced to use “unsafe alternative and makeshift routes”, which the barangay officials added pose a serious risk to the safety of the residents, commuters, and transport operators in Barangay Pulangbato. (CEBU NEWS)