The regular inspections being conducted by the city’s team led by Mayor Benjamin Magalong and City Administrator Bonifacio dela Peña resulted in marked improvements on how contractors implement projects in the city.
In the Feb. 28 meeting with close to 200 contractors undertaking projects in the city, Magalong and dela Peña thanked them for cooperating and for being open to the city’s thrust to foster integrity in project implementation to achieve quality and beneficial outputs.
The mayor acknowledged that these improvements are good signs that contractors are beginning to have a “change in mindset” and are now conscious of following project specifications and of producing quality infrastructures.
He expressed hope that this will further develop into genuine concern for the end users of the project more than the monetary benefits they will gain.
The weekly round of inspections which the two officials hold with the City Building and Architecture Office and City Engineering Office was initiated in October last year after observations that substandard projects abound in the city including school buildings and flood and erosion control works.
Since then, the team had checked 65 projects and those that failed were refused payment and given punch lists for corrective measures and most of the offending contractors had complied.
The two officials also directed City Engineer Edgar Victorio Olpindo and City Buildings and Architecture Office Officer-in-Charge Johnny Degay to ensure that projects programmed even if done in phases will be usable by the intended beneficiaries.
Olpindo said they target to finish plans and cost estimates of all projects programmed under the Annual Investment Plan by the end of this month for bidding in April and May.
The mayor also updated the contractors on “big ticket” projects lined up for implementation in the city beginning this year: Burnham Park upgrading, city market redevelopment, youth convergence building, City Hall annex building, sewerage system expansion, sidewalk rehabilitation, arboretum, Mines View Park rehabilitation, Baguio Athletic Bowl bleacher expansion, modular parking buildings, modern barangay halls, and the Smart City project components.
He assured that no graft practices will be tolerated under his administration so that contractors will earn their keep and have no reason to shortchange the government.
“Kung walang kalokohan, kikita na kayo at masaya pa kayo sa resulta ng trabaho n’yo so what we are just asking in return is please give us quality projects,” the mayor said. – Aileen P. Refuerzo
April 20, 2024
