CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The city government moved to fast-track delayed infrastructure projects in response to the findings of the Commission on Audit (COA).
In a statement on Friday, Mayor Rolando Uy said more engineers, architects, and other personnel will be hired to cope with the increasing demand for work at the City Engineering Office (CEO), which currently has two project engineers and 12 resident engineers.
"We will answer the COA observation and would strive to finish all the projects started in the previous administration," he said.
Uy was responding to the COA report that of the total 126 city projects, 37 undertakings that started in 2018 remain unfinished as of Dec. 31, 2022.
The same report added that quarantine restrictions during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and inclement weather contributed to the delays in the implementation of the projects.
However, Councilor John Michael Seno, concurrent public works committee chair, said the CEO submitted an erroneous report to COA.
"The CEO report previously stated that 15 percent mobilization fund was released to the contractors but during the meeting, they said it wasn’t released yet," Seno told reporters.
Acting City Engineer Joel Momongan said a contractor in three of the projects had mobilized despite not receiving the 15 percent mobilization fund.
The City Accounting Office had confirmed in last Wednesday’s hearing that City Hall had not released funds for these questioned projects.
It has been a common practice among contractors to start mobilizing on projects upon receipt of their Notice of Award and Notice to Proceed and bill the government based on the progress of their work.
Momongan said an engineer in his office handles 20 to 40 projects each. “With that volume of work, it is difficult, if not impossible, for them to be efficient,” he said.
Meanwhile, Nick Jabagat, chief of the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Department, said a priority project set for completion this year is their satellite office in Barangay Agusan.
The facility will house emergency rescue operation vehicles for positioning for future calamities, he said. (with reports from Stephen Capillas and Ercel Maandig/PNA)
